Somerset Place State Historic Site

Built within present-day Pettigrew State Park, Somerset Place State Historic Site was once one of North Carolina’s largest antebellum plantations. From 1785 to 1865, it operated as a major agricultural hub, producing rice, corn and wheat under the Collins family. Throughout its history, more than 850 enslaved Black individuals, along with free Black residents and white employees, sustained its operations. Today, visitors can walk the grounds and join guided tours that include the original Collins family home, reconstructed dwellings from the enslaved community, a hospital and other historic structures. Lake Phelps adds to the experience with trails, formal gardens, archaeological sites and a few resident goats.