Poplar Grove

Poplar Grove is a manor house in Pender County built in the 19th century with balanced architectural design, covered porches, and supporting farm structures on the grounds. The main residence stands surrounded by original outbuildings including a smokehouse, kitchen shed, carriage house, and worker housing.

The estate was built around 1850 and developed into one of North Carolina's largest peanut plantations during its early years. This scale of operation depended heavily on enslaved labor, reflecting the difficult realities of the plantation system in the antebellum South.

The site reflects the farming knowledge and practices that shaped African American communities in this region over many generations. Walking through the grounds, you encounter the lived history of people whose skills sustained the agricultural life here.

The property sits along U.S. Route 17 and offers a museum, heritage art studios, and a weekly farmers market with local goods and handmade items. You can walk the grounds to see the historic buildings up close and learn about the site's past.

The property preserves one of the last remaining tenant houses that belonged to the Nixon family, offering rare glimpses into daily life under the plantation system. This building stands as a direct connection to the individuals who worked the land and shaped the site's real history.