{"id":2955,"date":"2020-06-10T03:51:53","date_gmt":"2020-06-10T03:51:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=2955"},"modified":"2023-03-27T15:52:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-27T15:52:50","slug":"fire-at-stagville-plantation-was-set","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2020\/06\/10\/fire-at-stagville-plantation-was-set\/","title":{"rendered":"Fire at Stagville plantation was set"},"content":{"rendered":"
Last week\u2019s early-morning fire at Historic Stagville state historic site was set, according to a fire department chief who was among the first on the scene.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The site is located on part of what once was North Carolina\u2019s largest pre-Civil War plantation, which covered more than 30,000 acres in northern Durham County. Approximately 900 enslaved people once lived there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Four exterior portions of the 18th century Bennehan family home were on fire when Chief Allen Needham and other members of the Bahama Volunteer Fire Department pulled up at about <\/span>6:45 am<\/span>, Needham said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because the building is so old, the wooden materials burned easily, like \u201ca lighter box,\u201d said Needham.<\/span><\/p>\n Fire, smoke and water used to extinguish flames on a front corner of the building damaged furnishings inside, including a rug, table, chairs and portraits hanging on the walls, Needham said. Fire on the back of the building damaged a porch and doors but firefighters put it out before the interior there was harmed, the fire chief said.<\/span><\/p>\n The Lebanon and Redwood volunteer fire departments also rushed to the scene, Needham said. Fires in two other spots on the building were small and easily extinguished, he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The fact that fire was detected at multiple sites on the building indicated that someone set the fire, Needham said. \u201cIt was definitely some human hands involved,\u201d Needham said. \u201cIt was definitely a set fire.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Needham said he found \u201cother stuff\u201d that indicated it was a case of arson, but was not authorized to disclose what that is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n