Two Chimneys and a Plantation Memory
Do you have photographs of your ancestors’ homes — or at least what remains of them?
Today’s find in my BRILES folder is a photograph my parents brought back from a research trip to Randolph County, North Carolina, where my Briles ancestors once lived.
On the back of the photo, in my parents’ handwriting, it reads:
Remains of old house on former Briles plantation
Randolph Co. NC
The image itself is simple — just two brick chimneys standing in the middle of trees. No house. No porch. No family gathered in front. Just the silent remains.
And yet, those two chimneys speak volumes.
They represent a structure that once sheltered generations. Meals were cooked there. Children were raised there. Decisions were made there that shaped the lives of descendants — including me.
I’m especially grateful that my parents didn’t just take the photograph and move on. They visited with local residents and genealogists to determine the location of the former Briles plantation. They asked questions. They listened. They documented what they learned.
Because of their efforts, I don’t just have a name on a page — I have a place.
Even if all that remains are two chimneys standing quietly among the trees.