HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. — Nearly a year and a half after it shut down, the renamed Latta Place is on track to reopen once Mecklenburg County finalizes its plans.
The Huntersville property holds significant and painful memories for many. Kass Ottley, with Seeking Justice Charlotte, has been outspoken about events there that she said were insensitive.
Those events include a Juneteenth event in 2021, which included stories told from the perspective of a slave owner. It was canceled after county and Huntersville town leaders quickly expressed their disapproval. Mecklenburg County later announced Latta Plantation would closed until further notice.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- Part of historic Latta Place reopening next year with emphasis on education
- Huntersville plantation changes name to ‘Latta Place’
- Latta Plantation closed ‘until further notice’ following backlash over Juneteenth event
“People were lynched here, people were raped here, people were beat here,” Ottley said. “It’s painful, it’s hurtful, it’s going to open some wounds, but we’re not ever going to move forward if we keep minimalizing what happened.”
A committee of local historians, professors and other community stakeholders have created three options for how to move forward with the property. The biggest differences between the three plans center on how the historic buildings are used and whether a visitors’ center or research center should be part of the site.
Option A includes a new visitors’ center and more recreations of the spaces where enslaved people lived.
Option B would close off the current historic buildings, except during special tours, and focus on the people rather than the spaces.
Option C keeps all buildings open, but eliminates the visitors’ and research center, relying on live demonstrations and exhibits.
“I’m standing on the shoulders of my ancestors, doing this work,” Ottley said.
She wants the county to get input from the families of people enslaved there. But most of all, she wants people to learn from this painful past.
“I want them to take away what it was like to be enslaved, and work for free, and be held against your will. I want them to understand what that’s like,” Ottley said.
The county plans to hold more public meetings to talk about those options for Latta Place.
(PREVIOUS: Latta Plantation closed ‘until further notice’ following backlash over Juneteenth event)
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