About 3 miles west of Interstate 75 on Archer Road is the area where the Kanapaha Plantation once was and where a house built by enslaved craftsmen remains.
A small building that looks closed is in sight from the turn off of Archer, and a sign reads, “Please go down the path.”
As the end of the path nears, a historical interpreter — or docent — greets you, and a look into history begins at the Historic Haile Homestead.
Located at 8500 SW Archer Road, the homestead is a nonprofit organization and has hosted tours of the antebellum house museum since it was opened to the public in 2001.
And with the number of guests coming to the house increasing and a new visitor center opening soon, the organization is looking for more volunteers to give tours of the house as docents.
To be a volunteer, the commitment consists of one four-hour shift a month and a $20 annual membership fee. The volunteers work on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
If special group tours have been arranged, they can also work weekdays.
Karen Kirkman, the president of the organization, teaches each volunteer the information he or she needs to know.
“It’s a great problem to have,” Kirkman said of needing volunteers. “We’ve waited 10 years for (the visitor center).”
A grant was given to the organization but it was not enough to build the entire center.
Money was raised for about 10 years to finish building the visitor center. Outside of a coat of paint and the creation of exhibits, the center is complete.
The homestead is kept running through tour fees, donations and annual memberships.
The visitor center was built in sections because there was not enough money, Kirkman said.
When the visitor center opens, Kirkman said they hope to have two volunteers in the center and two at the house. Guests will pay the $5 tour fee and learn the background information of the home in the comfort of air conditioning or heating. Tours are free to children 12 and under.
The background information on the Haile family and the history of the home will be described through a video and exhibits that will be set up.
Ashley Hoyt, 17, has been a volunteer since she was 14, following in the footsteps of her sister.
Hoyt is in the International Baccalaureate program at Eastside High School and said she completes the volunteer requirement through being a docent at the Haile Homestead.
She said it helps her in American history classes by allowing her to understand the context of how people used to live, and she thinks that people should not be afraid to come check it out and become a volunteer.
“I feel like a lot of people think they are not good at history, or it’ll take up too much time,” Hoyt said, “but it’s not bad at all.”
Leanna McClellan, the assistant director of docents, also volunteers at the house and said she is looking forward to the visitor center opening.
“The center will make it easier for people to find us instead of seeing the sign to follow the path,” McClellan said.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 6/16/15]
From left: River Saulsbury, Regan Saulsbury, Heather Saulsbury and Ruby Jane Saulsbury examine a room during a tour of the Historic Haile Homestead on June 7. Visitors on the tour learn about the history of the plantation, the Haile family, and more.
