L'Hermitage Slave Village Archeological Site
L'Hermitage is an archaeological and historic plantation site near Frederick, Maryland, documenting an unusually large enslaved population and the coercive labor system established there in the late eighteenth century.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
L'Hermitage Slave Village Archeological Site is a historic archaeological site near Frederick in Frederick County, Maryland. The site lies within Monocacy National Battlefield and preserves the landscape of L'Hermitage Plantation, later known as the Best Farm. It is significant for the scale of the plantation, the unusually large population of enslaved people held there, the site's connections to refugees from the Haitian Revolution, and historical evidence describing severe physical abuse and deprivation. The plantation was established around 1793 by members of the Vincendière family, who are generally understood to have been former Haitian landowners who relocated to Maryland after the Haitian Revolution. Marguerite Magnan de la Vincendière, several of her children, and the relative Jean Payen de Boisneuf were central to the family's Maryland settlement. Twelve enslaved people accompanied them. Marguerite's daughter Victoire, who was seventeen in 1793, assembled much of the plantation's land between 1793 and 1798 and became the family's principal figure by 1800. At its height, L'Hermitage covered approximately 748 acres and held about ninety enslaved people. That population was exceptionally large for Frederick County, where many farms were operated by German immigrant families with far fewer enslaved laborers. The plantation's size and organization may have reflected an attempt to reproduce the large-scale slave-labor system familiar to the Vincendières from Haiti, potentially including labor-intensive agricultural production. Buildings associated with the plantation included the principal and secondary houses, agricultural structures, and dwellings believed to have included slave cabins. Contemporary accounts and court records provide unusually direct evidence about conditions at the plantation. In 1798, the Polish traveler Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz recorded reports of torture equipment and enslaved people who had been physically disabled by punishment. Nine legal proceedings involving members of the family concerned alleged cruelty toward enslaved people. Although several cases were dismissed, Jean Payen de Boisneuf was convicted in 1797 of beating an enslaved man named Shadrack and of failing to provide sufficient clothing and food. Victoire Vincendière was also accused of beating an enslaved woman named Jenny. The Vincendières sold L'Hermitage in 1827 after gradually dispersing much of the enslaved population. Victoire moved to a townhouse in Frederick and died in 1854 while still owning three enslaved people; her will directed that they be freed. Slavery nevertheless continued at the property under later owners and tenants. John Brien, or O'Brien, continued the practice after purchasing the farm, and tenant David Best enslaved six people in 1860. Slavery in Maryland ended in 1864. The property became known as the Best Farm and was incorporated into Monocacy National Battlefield as the National Park Service expanded the battlefield boundary. The National Park Service acquired the area in 1993, conducted preliminary investigations in 2003, and undertook an archaeological excavation during the summer of 2010 focused especially on structures interpreted as slave cabins. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Today, L'Hermitage is interpreted as a place of historical research and public memory rather than as a commercial brand, offering evidence about slavery, migration from the Caribbean, plantation organization, resistance and legal action, and the material lives of enslaved communities in Maryland.
History
L'Hermitage began around 1793 when the Vincendière family established a plantation near Frederick, Maryland. The family is believed to have come from Haiti after the Haitian Revolution, bringing twelve enslaved people to Maryland. Marguerite Magnan de la Vincendière, her children, and the relative Jean Payen de Boisneuf formed the core of the settlement. Marguerite's daughter Victoire, seventeen at the time of the plantation's creation, assembled the property between 1793 and 1798 and became the family's head by 1800. The plantation grew to approximately 748 acres and held about ninety enslaved people by 1800. This made it one of the largest slaveholdings in Maryland and the second-largest enslaved population in Frederick County. The plantation's scale and organization distinguished it from the smaller farms more typical of the region. The Vincendières may have attempted to recreate the plantation economy they had known in Haiti, including a large labor force and agricultural production requiring concentrated labor. Buildings associated with the plantation included houses, agricultural facilities, and structures interpreted as dwellings for enslaved workers. L'Hermitage acquired a reputation for harsh treatment. In 1798, traveler Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz recorded reports that the plantation contained stocks, whips, wooden horses, and other instruments of punishment, and that several enslaved people had been crippled by torture. Court records document nine proceedings involving allegations of cruelty against members of the Vincendière family. The cases included accusations that Boisneuf brutally beat six enslaved people and that Victoire beat an enslaved woman named Jenny. Most charges were dismissed, but Boisneuf was convicted in 1797 of beating Shadrack and failing to provide adequate clothing and food to enslaved people. The family sold L'Hermitage in 1827 after dispersing many of the people they had enslaved. Victoire relocated to Frederick and remained an enslaver until her death in 1854, when her will ordered the emancipation of three enslaved people. The institution continued at the property under subsequent proprietors. John Brien, also identified as O'Brien, acquired the farm and continued slaveholding, while tenant David Best enslaved six people in 1860. Maryland abolished slavery in 1864. Later the property became known as the Best Farm. The National Park Service acquired it in 1993 as part of an expansion of Monocacy National Battlefield. Preliminary archaeological work took place in 2003, followed by a larger excavation in 2010 concentrating on the remains of structures believed to have been slave cabins. The site's archaeological evidence complements documentary records by helping researchers study the layout and material conditions of the plantation community. L'Hermitage was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007 and is now understood as part of the cultural landscape of Monocacy National Battlefield.
- 2010
Archaeological excavation of suspected slave cabins
[1]A National Park Service excavation examined structures believed to have been slave cabins.
- 2007
National Register listing
[1]The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 2003
Preliminary archaeological investigations
[1]The National Park Service began preliminary archaeological investigations of the former plantation landscape.
- 1993
National Park Service acquires the property
[1]The National Park Service acquired the area as part of an expansion of Monocacy National Battlefield.
- 1864
Slavery ends in Maryland
[1]Maryland abolished slavery, ending the institution at the L'Hermitage property.
- 1860
David Best recorded as an enslaver
[1]Tenant David Best was recorded as holding six enslaved people, making him one of the larger slaveholders in the county.
- 1827
Vincendières sell the plantation
[1]The Vincendière family sold L'Hermitage after gradually dispersing much of the enslaved population.
- 1800
Enslaved population reaches approximately ninety
[1]By 1800, the plantation held about ninety enslaved people and occupied a leading position among Frederick County slaveholdings.
- 1797
Jean Payen de Boisneuf convicted of mistreatment
[1]Boisneuf was found guilty of beating an enslaved man named Shadrack and failing to provide adequate clothing and food for enslaved people.
- 1793
Plantation established
[1]The Vincendière family established L'Hermitage near Frederick, Maryland, bringing twelve enslaved people from the family's Caribbean-associated background.
Products and positioning
A preserved archaeological and historic landscape interpreted through the history of slavery, plantation agriculture, Haitian migration, and the lives of enslaved people in late-eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Maryland.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/lhermitage-slave-village-archeological-site · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled