L'Hermitage Slave Village Archeological Site

Near Frederick, Maryland, within Monocacy National Battlefield, this archaeological site preserves the remains of L'Hermitage Plantation, a large slaveholding estate established around 1793 by the Vincendière family after their flight from Haiti. Unusual in western Maryland for its size and character, it grew to 748 acres and held ninety enslaved people by 1800. The plantation became notorious for violence and cruelty, with court records documenting abuse and a 1797 conviction of Jean Payen de Boisneuf for beating Shadrack and neglecting basic needs. Later archaeology, including excavation of probable slave cabins, has made the site an important source on the lives of enslaved people in Maryland.

Ballenger Creek, Maryland · United States