Belle Grove Plantation Open for 2022 Season – New Exhibit ‘Unearthing Enslaved Lives at Belle Grove’ now on view

The Belle Grove National Historic site just south of Middletown off Route 11 has opened its 2022 season with a new, permanent exhibit with unearthed artifacts and supporting research reflecting the lives of the 270 slaves who worked the plantation owned by the Hite family. Belle Grove Executive Director Kristin Laise also announced a return to pre-pandemic operations, including daily tours. See the full March 23rd press release below:

Belle Grove Plantation is now open daily to the public. Guided tours of the Manor House are offered Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 pm, and Sunday 1-5 pm at 15 minutes past each hour. The Belle Grove grounds, and the Beverley B. Shoemaker Welcome Center (including the Museum Shop and exhibits) are also open during these hours.

“We are delighted to be open for the 2022 season and to debut a new exhibit about the individuals enslaved at Belle Grove, which is essential to understanding the full history here,” said executive director Kristen Laise.

The new, permanent exhibit, Unearthing Enslaved Lives at Belle Grove, features the archaeology conducted at the Enslaved Quarter Site in 2015-2019. The 60,000 excavated artifacts, and supporting archival research, reveal details about the more than 270 men, women, and children the Hite family enslaved. They show how these individuals built lives for themselves, despite the oppressive conditions of slavery, and how their labors shaped the economy and history of the Shenandoah Valley.

Above and below, visitors at the ‘Unearthing Enslaved Lives’ Exhibit. Courtesy Photos Belle Grove

“After seven years of research, it is rewarding to have the artifacts and project findings on display for the public to see,” said Matthew Greer, the lead archeologist for the project.

The historic site, which was opened to the public in 1967, has returned to pre-pandemic operations, including offering daily tours, school and group tours, event rentals, and special events. Belle Grove plans to host a full schedule of events in 2022, including the “Of Ale and History” Beer Festival on May 7. Now in its 27th year, this festival is Virginia’s longest-running Beer Festival, and tickets will go on sale in April. A full list of Belle Grove events may be found at www.bellegrove.org/calendar.

Ben and Karen Haizlett of Strasburg, Virginia look at the plant remains.

As a partner in Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, Belle Grove also has programs led by National Park Rangers. The spring schedule includes 30-minute, free programs at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. One Sunday each month, the 2:30 p.m. program is Kneading in Silence: A Glimpse into the Life of the Enslaved Cook Judah, which discusses the life of that enslaved cook Judah, at Belle Grove. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/cebe.

About Belle Grove—Belle Grove Plantation is located off Route 11 at 336 Belle Grove Road just south of Middletown, Virginia, and is conveniently situated to I-81 (exit 302) and I-66. Belle Grove Plantation is a non-profit historic house museum that is a National Trust for Historic Preservation historic site (www.savingplaces.org). It is also one of the partners in Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/cebe).