Showing posts with label _Slave Quarters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label _Slave Quarters. Show all posts

January 23, 2021

Historic Smithfield at Virginia Tech

The original enslaved structure was removed to said location (adjacent to big house) from a contingent family farm. No idea if original enslaved structure was in this location. Interesting side profile... 











April 1, 2013

Walney, Chantilly, VA








I definitely observed many depressions around the south and west of the main house:




Smokehouse:




Outbuilding foundation, likely the slave quarters:



View from quarters towards main house:


Ice House foundation:




Dairy:




View of main house from Dairy:


One of the things that Walney is known for, the carved keystone:



Machen time capsule items:

"This house was built by Coleman Brown about the year 1780. Modernized by L. H. Machen 1843 [reverse] Back building added by Jas. P. Machen 1875- Frame house burned Dec. 30 1874"

"James P. Machen Born May 19. 1831. His Wife Georgie Chichester born [reverse] Oct. 4. 1841. Children: Caroline born July 16. 1867 [.] Lewis Henry July 10 1871."





From the Tenants display in the Walney Visitor Center:


"There are few records left of who lived on the land during this time period. We do know who a few of the 20th century residents were. After Ellanor C. Lawrence bought Walney in 1935, she continued to rent the house or allow people to live in it up until 1948, when she began a major renovation. Two of the families that lived here during that time were an African American family named Harris (1938-40) and a caucasian family named Crane (ca. 1942-1946)."


"1940. This picture was taken in about 1940 of Bettie Jett and Roberta Burke on the front steps of Walney. They lived here with their (respectively) grandmother and adopted mother Mrs. Nina Brooks Harris who was born in this area. Her family, the Brooks, were former slaves who owned a house and land just east of Walney that they called the 'Homeplace'."


"2000. This photo of Bettie Jett Balley and Barbara [Roberta?] Burke Smith was taken when they returned to Walney in 2000 and sat on the front steps of Walney where the sat 60 years before as small girls."


Map is from FCPA brochure A Walk through Time in Ellanor C. Lawrence Park:

June 2, 2012

Gunston Hall, Barn Wharf Trail, Lorton, VA

Took a walk down Gunston Hall's Barn Wharf Trail last week. The landscape immediately reminded me of Sotterley plantation and the location of one of their slave quarters. Very similar terrain. I wonder if this perhaps was a quarter or perhaps even Log Town...

Cedar-lined path:

Note location as being below the big house, under the terracing.