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Welcome to the Historic Haile Homestead at Kanapaha Plantation. In 1854 Thomas Evans and Serena Chesnut Haile moved their family from Camden, South Carolina to Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida. It is there they established a 1500-acre Sea Island cotton plantation they named Kanapaha. Completed in 1856 by enslaved craftsmen, the 6,200 square foot homestead stands today as one of the few remaining antebellum homes in North Central Florida. The Historic Haile Homestead is also known for its "Talking Walls." For a reason lost to time, the Haile family wrote on the walls of their home - over 12,500 words in almost every room and closet! Come visit us this weekend and see this gem of history, frozen in time - let the walls speak to you of joys and sorrows of more than a century ago.
Admission: $5 per person, children under 12 are free. The Homestead is approx 3 mi west of I-75 (Exit 384) on State Road 24 (Archer Road) in Gainesville, FL
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Wonderful historic site! I've never seen anything like the Talking Walls! The Haile family and their friends actually wrote all over the walls starting in the 1850s! We're talking about over 10,000 words! The tour guides also speak very frankly about slavery and the contributions made by enslaved laborers.