South Carolina's Thomas and Serena Haile moved to Florida in the 1850s. Members of the Haile-Chestnut clan purchased land in the Kanapaha area of Alachua County. The 1860 census indicates that Thomas Haile owned 66 slaves.

The Haile house included six rooms on the ground floor and two large rooms upstairs.

Poor crops forced Haile into bankruptcy in 1868 and most of his property was sold. The family continued to live at Kanapaha until around 1900.

Completed in 1856, the house stands as a testament to the skill and expertise of the enslaved craftsmen who built it, though the 18 slave cabins have not survived.

Information provided by Florida Department of State.

Photo Courtesy hailehomestead.org