An Object Biography of the 1857 Slave Dwelling at Poplar Forest

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Historical Archaeology of Chesapeake Landscapes in Transition", at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

This paper examines the 1857 Slave Dwelling at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest in Bedford County, Virginia, as an object with its own life-history. Originally built as housing for enslaved laborers, the structure has seen several modifications during its existence, while it has gradually deteriorated since it lacks a foundation and water drainage is ineffective. Archaeological investigations of the structure began in 1989, followed by intensive excavation between 2022 and 2024 in preparation for installation of a foundation and drainage trench, prior to masonry repair and interior restoration. This allows an opportunity to consider this building as a contiguous object that is composed of above- and below-ground elements, primarily brick and mortar, plus architectural materials from archaeological contexts. Traditional forms of documentation and photogrammetry are being used to record the structure at this stage in its lifetime, focusing on bricks and mortar visible on the exterior and associated artifacts.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• Historical Archaeology of Chesapeake Landscapes in Transition

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow