A Black family is rediscovering their history in a home renovation project that dates back over a hundred years. Jeanne Morrow, owner of Hush Arbor Plantation, is undertaking a renovation and refurbishment of her Virginia home in the newest episode of Magnolia Network’s “In With The Old,” produced by Black Love and Confluential Films. 

The property, originally called the McCormick Plantation, was built in 1847 with an addition added in 1899. Morrow heard stories as a child of her ancestors working on the plantation and determined that she was going to buy the property one day. Morrow accomplished that dream in 2019, renaming the property the Hush Arbor Plantation. 

“You think of a childhood dream that you’ve had since you were 10 years old. Then to have it come to fruition? It doesn’t seem real. It feels like a walking dream. It was a combination of joy and sadness, because some of my relatives that worked on this property didn’t get to see us make this big, momentous purchase,” Jeanne told the CBS affiliate WDBJ 7 in Roanoke, Virginia. 

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“A Hush Arbor, during slavery times, was a place where the slaves could go in secret to celebrate, and pray and dance and kick it without anyone knowing where they were,” Jeanne added. “That spoke to me, because this is where we come to pray and kick it,” 

Five years after purchasing the property, Jeanne is ready to bring it into the 21st century alongside her nephew, Jordan, who is a contractor. In the newest episode of “In With the Old,” the duo work with other members of their family and a team of experts to renovate and preserve the family room, the kitchen, and the guest bedroom in the 1847 section of the home. 

“Our goal for the family room is to keep most of the elements of the original 1847 structure,” Jeanne says. “I want it to look just like it did from the house that’s built in 1847, except new. We want to create an inviting space where we can all gather, play card games, and just visit.” 

“I’ve been banging hammers since I was in Pampers,” Jordan shares during the episode. “So, I’ll be GCing the renovation.” 

Jeanne and Jordan are visited by a host of family members during the renovation, including Jeanne’s sister, Fayti. Jeanne also seeks out a historian, Nicka Sewell-Smith, to find out additional information about the property and her ancestors who lived there. In one special moment, Jeanne visits a slave cabin on the property. 

“My great-great grandfather, his name was Tom Coles, we were told lived in the slave cabin,” Jeanne shares. “We created a fire pit, and if you notice the stones, those stones came from the house where my great-grandma Sarah used to live. My grandfather Gideon Miller died in a farming accident down by the barn. …That was important to me to honor that sacrifice that he made.”   

“It’s definitely rare that there’s a house still here,” Nicka says. “It’s also even more rare that you own the house and the land that your ancestors worked. That is extremely rare. All the ebbs and flows of the United States, and to still have the descendants of those folks still involved in some way — even all these years later — it definitely is something to be proud of.”  

It is beautiful to see a Black family rediscovering their roots when so much of our history has been diminished or washed away entirely. This a special moment not only for the Morrow family, but for the Black community at large. To see how the Morrows rebuilt their home with love and fortitude, check out “In With Old,” available to stream on Max and Discovery Plus on Friday, September 13.