Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site

10/30/2026

We do not know the name of the enslaved chef who would have cooked at the Levi Jordan Plantation. Tragically, historical records typically do not include detailed information about enslaved populations. However we DO know that the chef most likely used cast iron cooking utensils, cooked over an open hearth, and was exceptionally gifted at their craft. Learning more about cast iron and its uses is one way we can learn more about people of the past.

Cast Iron pots and skillets do not just produce delicious food. They can also be celebrated for their adaptability, and their durability. If well maintained, a cast iron skillet can be passed down through generations for hundreds of years!

Learn how to restore rusted cast iron and daily upkeep techniques to keep your heirloom pieces in tip top shape on November 7th from 2pm until 4pm at our Cast Iron Care Program.

Pictured is a fragment of an iron cooking pot excavated from the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site.

10/28/2026

Join us Thursday, November 12, at 6 pm on Zoom for our final Virtual Book Club meeting of 2026. We will be discussing High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris.

Jessica B. Harris, a cookbook author and culinary historian, brings a lifetime of knowledge and her masterful storytelling to a narrative history of the foods and foodways that began in Africa, traversed the Atlantic slave routes, and eventually flowered across the American continent.

Click the link to sign up:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AFS6tyTrQoOy-g4WbE_Osg

10/27/2026

For the past 3 years we have hosted our annual event, A Day Of Remembrance, Veteran's day weekend. This year we are looking to host the event in the Spring of 2027. The date of this event is still to be determined, but we hope to see you there!

A Day of Remembrance is a free event honoring those who were enslaved or sharecropped during the plantation and post-emancipation era. The purpose of the event is to provide a safe educational space, that uplifts and preserves the plantation sites' history for present and future generations. The 6th annual ADOR will feature guest speakers, special exhibits, and a family meal.

Pictured are past A Day Of Remembrances.

10/22/2026

Learn about the history and uses of cast iron on November 7th from 2pm to 4pm. Stay for the entire program or pop in at your leisure! $10 per person.

Enslaved chefs used cast iron pots and pans everyday to create fine meals. During this program you will also learn how to restore cast iron and keep it in tip-top shape.

Pictured is an electrolysis tank used to remove rust and carbon build-up from a cast iron skillet. You can learn how to make one at the program, along with other restoration techniques.

10/21/2026

The last Virtual Book Club meeting of 2026 is on November 12 at 6 pm on Zoom. We will be discussing High on the Hog: A Culinary Journey from Africa to America by Jessica B. Harris. The author provides a fascinating history of the journey of foods and recipes from West Africa to the United States and how it created the dishes and recipes we all love today.

The book is available in our gift shop, or you can purchase it from your favorite local bookstore.

Click the link to sign up:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AFS6tyTrQoOy-g4WbE_Osg

10/19/2026

The 2026 Royal Court Miss Juneteenth America queens visited the Levi Jordan Plantation over the weekend. The Miss Juneteenth America Scholarship Pageantry Program's mission is to empower young ladies aged 13-18 to embrace their identities, celebrate their heritage, and achieve their dreams. Through scholarships, cultural education, and leadership opportunities, they create a transformative experience that shapes the next generation of leaders.

From left to right, Miss Cayleigh Humphrey (2026 Teen First Runner-Up), Queen Erin Hammond (2026 Junior Miss Juneteenth America), Queen Tammy Maku (2026 Teen Miss Juneteenth America), and Miss Miley Jones (2026 Junior First Runner-Up).

10/17/2026

On November 7th from 2pm until 4pm we will be demonstrating how to restore cast iron, and how you can keep it in tip top shape. Cast iron pots and pans were an essential tool for cooking and cleaning, before nonstick pans hit the scene!

Enslaved people would have kept them in the quarters to cook for their families. Enslaved Chefs used cast iron to create fine meals. Open hearth cooking would have been a common method of preparing food. Fragments of cast iron tools and pots have been commonly found on site through archeological excavations.

Pictured is a 19th Century Open Hearth Fireplace. We do not know who the Enslaved Chef at the Jordan Plantation was, but they likely would have cooked using a similar set up. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Come learn more about cast iron and the enslaved chefs that shaped American cuisine at our program!
November 7, 2026
2pm-4pm
$10 per person

10/15/2026

October is Texas Archeology month! That means it is an excellent time to learn what to do if you see something that could be an artifact.

Sometimes artifacts are unearthed before they can be excavated. These artifacts are called "surface finds." Your first instinct may be to pick up the artifact. Don't! The exact location of an artifact provides archeologists with pivotal information on how it may have been used, and by who. The best course of action is to alert site staff as soon as possible, without disturbing the artifact! Your efforts to preserve history will be appreciated!

Artifacts are vital clues to understanding the story of the Varner-Hogg and Levi Jordan Plantation Historic Sites. For more information about archeology, ask a staff member at your next visit!

The Texas Antiquities Code prohibits the disturbance or removal of artifacts from state property.

10/10/2026

October is Texas Archeology Month! Archeology of the Levi Jordan Plantation and Varner-Hogg Plantation Historic Sites has been ongoing for over 50 years. Yet there still remains so much information to piece together on the communities that once existed at both sites! While archeology offers essential clues to the past, the information it offers can be vague at times. Rather than having exact information on a person from the past, we can make inferences on what we find.

For example, at the enslaved people's quarters at the Varner-Hogg Planation, archeologists have found pieces of a harmonica reed, fragments of a writing slate, and discarded animal bones. From these clues, we can infer that this community enjoyed music. We can infer that someone was learning to read or write, or perhaps enjoyed drawing. We can see what people ate and how they cooked their meat based on the way the bones appear, whether they have been boiled or cut a certain way.

At the Levi Jordan Plantation, fragments of dolls, pieces of clay pipes, buttons and thimbles tell a similar story of what daily life was like, beyond working at the plantation. People tailored their clothes after they lost buttons, they smoked to***co, and children played.

Information on enslaved people is limited, due to the fact that they were deemed a lesser class and prevented from being taught how to read and write. Every clue, helps us to create a more complete account of what day to day life was like for these individuals.

Pictured are artifacts from the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site taken by Texas Parks and Wildlife in 2005.

10/03/2026

Cowboy Day is happening rain or shine! Join us today Saturday, October 3, from 12 pm to 5 pm at the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site in West Columbia.

Put on your boots, jeans and saddle up for a celebration of Brazoria County’s rich cowboy heritage. This event features games for all ages, food trucks, cowboy demonstrations, livestock, live music, and more!

Admission for the event is $5, while children under $5 get free entry!
The back gate to Columbia Lakes will be open as well. We hope to see you there!

Cowboy Day is happening rain or shine! Join us this Saturday, October 3, from 12 pm to 5 pm!

Put on your boots, jeans and saddle up for a celebration of Brazoria County’s rich cowboy heritage. This event features games for all ages, food trucks, cowboy demonstrations, livestock, live music, and more!

Admission for the event is $5, while children under $5 get free entry!
The back gate to Columbia Lakes will be open as well. We hope to see you there!