Oaklawn Plantation

OVERVIEW

Location: Huntsville, Madison Co., AL
Date Constructed/ Founded: 1844 (main plantation house built)
Associated Surnames: Robinson
Historical Notes: John J. Robinson was a revenue commissioner in Madison County and became one of the county’s largest landowners.
Associated Pages: None

ASSOCIATED ENSLAVED PERSONS

Family groups – to be added

Information from Antebellum Census & Estate Records

1850: Second Regiment 33, Madison Co., AL – Female age 80 (b.1770), Female age 80 (b.1770), Female age 60 (b.1790), Male age 50 (b.1800), Female age 45 (b.1805), Female age 45 (b.1805), Male age 23 (b.1827), Male age 23 (b.1827), Female age 22 (b.1828), Male age 22 (b.1828), Male age 20 (b.1830), Female age 23 (b.1827), Male age 18 (b.1832), Male age 18 (b.1832), Male age 18 (b.1832), Female age 17 (b.1833), Female age 17 (b.1833), Male age 16 (b.1834), Male age 15 (b.1835), Male age 12 (b.1838), Male age 12 (b.1838), Male age 12 (b.1838), Male age 10 (b.1840), Male age 7 (b.1843), Male age 6 (b.1844), Female age 6 (b.1844), Male age 5 (b.1845), Female age 4 (b.1846), Male age 4 (b.1846), Female age 3 (b.1847), Female age 3 (b.1847), Female age 3 (b.1847), Male age 1/12 (b.1860) [1850 US Federal Census (Slave Schedule), Madison Co., AL, John Robinson, 36 total, no houses]

1850: Huntsville, Madison Co., AL – Female age 45 (b.1805), Male age 17 (b.1833), Female age 100 (b.1750) [1850 US Federal Census (Slave Schedule), Madison Co., AL, John Robinson, 3 total, no houses]

1850: District 36, Madison Co., AL – Male age 46 (b.1814), Female age 27 (b.1833), Male age 39 (b.1821), Male age 20 (b.1840), Female age 18 (b.1842), Female age 13 (b.1847), Female age 35 (b.1825), Female age 25 (b.1835), Female age 18 (b.1842), Female age 15 (b.1845), Female age 12 (b.1848), Female age 10 (b.1850) [1860 US Federal Census (Slave Schedule), Madison Co., AL, John Robinson, 15 total, no houses]

1860: Group1 – Male age 28 (b.1832), Female age 28 (b.1832), Male age 28 (b.1832), Male age 21 (b.1839), Female age 25 (b.1835), Female age 60 (b.1800), Male age 17 (b.1843), Male age 15 (b.1845), Male age 10 (b.1850), Male age 15 (b.1845), Male age 35 (b.1825), Male age 55 (b.1805), Male age 25 (b.1835), Male age 12 (b.1848), Male age 35 (b.1825), Male age 65 (b.1795), Male age 4 (b.1856), Male age 3 (b.1857), Male age 5 (b.1855), Male age 4 (b.1856), Male age 1 (b.1859), Male age 1 (b.1859); Group2 – Male age 47 (b.1813), Female age 28 (b.1832), Female age 24 (b.1836), Female age 17 (b.1843), Female age 65 (b.1795), Female age 5 (b.1855), Female age 12 (b.1848), Female age 13 (b.1847), Female age 5 (b.1855), Female age 5 (b.1855), Female age 4 (b.1856), Female age 4 (b.1856), Female age 3 (b.1857), Female age 3 (b.1857), Female age 1 (b.1859); Group3 – Female age 33 (b.1827), Female age 47 (b.1813), Female age 20 (b.1840), Female age 65 (b.1795), Female age 23 (b.1837), Female age 30 (b.1830), Female age 30 (b.1830), Female age 16 (b.1844), Female age 22 (b.1838), Female age 24 (b.1836), Female age 22 (b.1838), Female age 40 (b.1820), Female age 16 (b.1844), Female age 12 (b.1848), Female age 11 (b.1849), Female age 10 (b.1850), Female age 6 (b.1854), Female age 4 (b.1856), Female age 3 (b.1857), Female age 2 (b.1858), Female age 1 (b.1859); Group4 – Male age 28 (b.1832), Female age 28 (b.1832), Male age 28 (b.1832), Male age 21 (b.1839), Female age 25 (b.1835), Female age 60 (b.1800) [1860 US Federal Census (Slave Schedule), Madison Co., AL, John Robinson, 64 total, no houses]

ASSOCIATED FREE PERSONS

Robinson family: John Jacob Robinson (b.1803-d.1870) – owner of Oaklawn Plantation; Caroline Louisa “Otey” Robinson (b.1812-d.1888) – wife (m.1828); Martha M. Robinson (b.1833-d.1850) – dau.; Arthur W. Robinson (b.1834-d.1864) – son; Anthony W. Robinson (b.1837-d.?) – son; Laura Robinson (b.1840-d.1922) – dau.; Joseph “Josia” E. Robinson (b.1843-d.1860) – son; Josephine E. Robinson (b.1845-d.?) – dau.; Caroline L. Robinson (b.1846-d.1880) – dau.; John J. Robinson (b.1848-d.1880) – son; Mollie Robinson (b.1851-d.1860) – dau.

RESEARCH LEADS AND RECORDS

• None

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

• Main Plantation House (1844) – Also known as the John Robinson House and the Robinson-Dilworth House. During the Civil War, the house was used by the Union Army as an officers’ quarters. The family vacated the house in the late 19th century, and during the Spanish–American War, the grounds were used as an army camp and hospital. In 1919, the house was purchased by the Dilworth family and restored from its poor condition. The house was later owned by Max Luther, a prominent local merchant. The house is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places (ID: 77000212).

REFERENCES

• Wikipedia: Oaklawn (Huntsville, Alabama), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oaklawn_(Huntsville,_Alabama)
• National Registry of Historic Places, https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/77000212
• Find-A-Grave: John Jacob Robinson (ID: 99270612), https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/99270612/john-jacob-robinson
• WikiTree: John Robinson, https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Robinson-33611
• Ancestry.com Family Tree: John and Verna Robinsons-Patons-Ryans-Hallocks
• Blake T. (2003) Madison County, Alabama Largest Slaveholders from 1860 Slave Census Schedules and Surname Matches for African-Americans on 1870 Census, https://sites.rootsweb.com/~ajac/almadison.htm
• Ancestry.com. 1850 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.
• Ancestry.com. 1860 U.S. Federal Census – Slave Schedules [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010.