By: Tonya Bockover
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Spring Homecoming took place on Saturday May 13th at Harmony Hall Plantation in White Oak, North Carolina. The Plantation dates back to 1768 and boasts that it is one of the oldest residents in Bladen County.
Sunday Allen, History teacher at East Bladen High School, was on hand with members of EBHS’s History Club. Many of the students dressed in period costumes as they portrayed and informed visitors on the lives of those who spent their days there.
In the Harmony Hall Chapel, EBHS History Club President, Ross Johnson, along with Ms. Sunday Allen spoke to Elizabethtown Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. Allen and Johnson advocated for the growing need of revenue in-order to restore Harmony Hall. Harry LaRock, Vice President of Harmony Hall Preservation, addressed the audience; mentioning the home’s dire needs, including foundation repair, termite control and sheet rock replacement.
Among the faces seen at the plantation that day, the 46th NC Company camped out on the grounds. The presence of these civil war reenactors, in full costume, gave the plantation a bustling look, as another time period echoed.
In the blacksmith shed, one could find Butch Adams teaching a new generation his skills. Adams has been volunteering at Harmony Hall since 1993. When asked where he picked up his trade, Adam’s stated, “I learned blacksmithing from my great uncle. I was inspired by the movie The Iron Mistress.” One visitor remarked that when Adams is absent, the place just does not seem as authentic, as if his role there is vital to the experience of Harmony Hall.
The goal of Homecoming, in Sunday Allen’s mind, was all about reminding people of their connection to history and keeping that link alive. Allen knows that while Harmony Hall may not possess the grandeur of some other preserved mansions, Harmony Hall remains the epitome of an early country plantation home.
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