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Kingsley Plantation, Kitchen, 11676 Palmetto Avenue, Jacksonville, Duval County, FL
Summary
Significance: Physical evidence suggests that the kitchen at Kingsley Plantation was originally a one-story, two-room building. Most likely constructed around the same time as the house nearby (1798), the kitchen was made of tabby brick walls and had a large clay brick fireplace; it was oriented perpendicular to the main house. In 1812, during the Patriots' Rebellion, the plantation, which was then the home of John McIntosh who was one of the rebellion's leaders, was ransacked by Spanish troops. The outbuildings, including presumably the kitchen, were burned.
The kitchen was rebuilt and expanded early in the tenure of Zephaniah Kingsley (1814-39). A first-floor addition, constructed with poured tabby walls, was built along the west side of the original building, with a shed roof covering the addition. An exterior stair was built at the east side to provide access to the second floor. The first floor exterior tabby walls were stuccoed and scored.
Tradition has long held that the kitchen, as rebuilt by Kingsley, was the home of Anna Madagegine Jai (ca. 1793-1870), one of his slaves, whom he married and manumitted. Since Kingsley was also involved in relationships with several of his other slaves, it is presumed that he set her up in her own household as per the African custom involving polygamous families. Based in the kitchen, Anna jai raised their children, managed the plantation household, and assumed the duties of plantation manager when Kingsley was away.
Subsequent owners of Kingsley Plantation used the second-story rooms for plantation offices and lodgings. A covered walkway was built by John Rollins ca. 187, connecting the kitchen to the house. About 1866 Rollins raised the east porch of the kitchen to its current two-story height. The kitchen was restored by the National Park Service in 2005-06.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N1019
Survey number: HABS FL-478-C
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 70000182
Kingsley Plantation is a historic site located on Fort George Island in Jacksonville, Florida. It was originally established in 1814 by Zephaniah Kingsley, a wealthy plantation owner who owned several plantations in the southeastern United States. The plantation was primarily used to grow and harvest Sea Island cotton, a highly prized crop due to its long, silky fibres. The plantation was worked by enslaved Africans, many of whom were brought to the plantation from West Africa. Despite owning slaves, Kingsley was known for his relatively progressive views on race and slavery. He believed that enslaved Africans should be treated with dignity and respect and even married one of his slaves, a woman named Anna Madgigine Jai Kingsley. Today, Kingsley Plantation is open to the public as part of the National Park Service. Visitors can tour the plantation's main house, which has been restored to its original 19th-century appearance, as well as several other historic buildings on the property. The site also features exhibits and educational programs that explore the history of slavery in the United States.
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