PROJECT ASSIGNMENT: DESIGNING AND DRAWING A PLANTATION

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Scott Byrd
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1 NAME: DATE: PERIOD: D irections This assignment asks you to design and draw a southern plantation on a piece of poster board. This project will allow me to see that you understand how the plantation system operated and how the slave system was organized. You are expected to use your classroom information as a springboard to your original design. PROJECT ASSIGNMENT: DESIGNING AND DRAWING A PLANTATION MATERIALS NEEDED: 1. One piece of white poster board at least 1 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet. 2. Colored pencils or felt tip markers for drawing your design. STEP ONE: DESIGN At this point, I would suggest that you get several sheets of blank paper, and begin playing with your plantation layout. This may save you from wasting a piece of poster board later. You might also want to find pictures of Civil War era homes and buildings to help you draw them, and supplement what you saw in class. Remember, I don t want you to copy any one historic design, and I don t want clip art or photocopied buildings. I want them hand drawn. THE REQUIRED ELEMENTS CHECKLIST: 1. THE BIG HOUSE: THE BIG HOUSE SHOULD BE THE CENTERPIECE FOR THE WHOLE PLANTATION. IT SHOULD BE TWO STORIES TALL. IT MAY TAKE TIME TO DESIGN THIS BUILDING. 2. COOKHOUSE: DUE TO FIRE DANGER, THIS BUILDING WAS ALWAYS SEPARATE FROM THE BIG HOUSE. THE COOKHOUSE OFTEN CONTAINED A LIVING AREA FOR THE COOK OR OTHER SHOUSE SERVANTS AS WELL AS THE KITCHEN. 3. WELLS: WELLS WERE ESSENTIAL IN THE DAYS BEFORE INDOOR PLUMBING. WELLS OFTEN HAD A LATTICE WORK WALLS AND A ROOF OVER THE WELL ITSELF. YOU WILL NEED AN FANCY ONE FOR THE FAMILY NEAR THE COOKHOUSE; ONE IN THE BARNYARD ARE FOR THE LIVESTOCK; ONE FOR THE OVERSEER; AND ONE IN SLAVE ROW. 4. VEGETABLE GARDEN: NEAR THE COOKHOUSE, YOU WILL NEED TO DRAW A FAIRLY SIZABLE GARDEN. THIS GARDEN WAS USED FOR THE NEEDS OF THE OWNER S FAMILY. IN ADDITION, SLAVES WERE OFTEN

2 PERMITTED TO GROW THEIR OWN VEGETABLE GARDENS. YOU WILL NEED TO DRAW ONE FOR EVERY FOUR SLAVE CABINS. 5. NECESSARY HOUSE: MORE COMMONLY KNOWN TODAY AS AN OUTHOUSE, YOU WILL NEED TO PUT A NICE BRICK OR FANCY WOODEN OUTHOUSE FOR THE USE OF THE OWNER S FAMILY. SOME WERE LARGE ENOUGH TO HOLD FOUR PEOPLE AT ONE TIME. NECESSARY HOUSES WILL ALSO BE NEEDED FOR THE OVERSEER AND ONE FOR EVERY FOUR SLAVE CABINS. 6. FORMAL GARDENS: THE FORMAL GARDENS SHOW OFF THE WEALTH AND TASTE OF THE PLANTATION OWNER. ON SOME PLANTATIONS THEY WERE VERY LARGE AND ELABORATE. DESIGNING YOUR FORMAL GARDENS IS ONE OF THE KEY PARTS OF YOUR ASSIGNMENT. FLOWERS, SHRUBS, AND TREES WERE OFTEN PLANTED IN COLORFUL AND BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS. SOME GARDEN AREAS HAD STATUES, BENCHES, STREAMS OR GAZEBOS AS PART OF THEIR DESIGN. THE FORMAL GARDENS SHOULD ACCENT THE BIG HOUSE, AND BE NEAR ENOUGH FOR A STROLL. 7. LANE OR DRIVEWAY: THE APPROACH BY ROAD TO THE FRONT OF THE BIG HOUSE WAS OFTEN VERY DRAMATIC. IT COULD BE STRAIGHT AND FLANKED BY TREES OR LARGE FLOWERING SHRUBS, OR WINDING FOR AS MUCH AS A HALF A MILE FROM THE FRONT GATE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS TO DESIGN THE LANE, BUT REMEMBER THAT IT SHOULD ENHANCE THE BEAUTY OF THE BIG HOUSE. INCLUDE SOME KIND OF DECORATIVE IRON GATE AT THE ENTRANCE TO THE LANE. 8. TREES: TREES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR DESIGN. THEY CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE YOUR FORMAL GARDENS OR LANE. YOU MAY ALSO USE THEM TO SCREEN THE WORK AREAS OF THE PLANTATION FROM THE MORE FORMAL AREAS. 9. PATHWAYS: YOUR DESIGN WILL TEND TO LOOK ARTIFICIAL AND DISCONNECTED WITHOUT SMALL ROADS OR PATHWAYS TO CONNECT THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS AND PARTS OF YOUR PLANTATION. ALL BUILDINGS MUST BE CONNECTED BY PATHWAYS OR ROADS. ALL OF THE ABOVE LOCATIONS ARE PART OF THE FORMAL AREA OF THE PLANTATION CENTERED AROUND THE BIG HOUSE. WHAT FOLLOWS ARE THE BUILDINGS NEEDED TO COMPRISE THE WORK AREAS OF YOUR PLANTATION: 10. BARNYARD: THE BARNYARD AREA NEEDS TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: A. ONE LARGE BARN FOR SHELTERING LIVESTOCK AND STORING FODDER. B. FOUR CORN CRIBS FOR THE STORAGE OF FIELD CORN FOR THE ANIMALS (SIMPLE WOODEN BUILDINGS WITH OPEN SLATS AND A ROOF. THE YELLOW CORN COULD BE SEEN BETWEEN THE LOGS.) C. A SMOKEHOUSE FOR PRESERVING MEAT (A FAIRLY TALL BUILDING OF WOOD OR BRICK WITH NO WINDOWS. SMALL OPENINGS CAN BE SEEN CLOSE TO THE ROOF FOR THE SMOKE TO ESCAPE. SHOW A BIG PILE OF WOOD NEARBY.) D. THREE HOG PENS (PENS MADE OF WOODEN RAILS FOR RAISING HOGS - THE MOST IMPORTANT SOURCE OF MEAT ON THE PLANTATION.) 11. CARRIAGE HOUSE: THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A GARAGE. INSTEAD OF CARS YOU WOULD PARK CARRIAGES (AT LEAST FOUR) AND STABLE THE HORSES. SOMETIMES SLAVE QUARTERS FOR THE GROOM(S) WOULD BE PART OF THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE CARRIAGE HOUSE. YOUR CARRIAGE HOUSE CAN BE NEAR THE BIG HOUSE OR NEAR THE BARNYARD -- YOUR CHOICE.

3 12. OVERSEER S HOUSE: THIS SHOULD BE A SOLID AND WELL-BUILT BUILDING FOR THE LIVING QUARTERS OF THE WHITE OVERSEER ON YOUR PLANTATION. IT SHOULD BE SMALLER THAN THE BIG HOUSE HOWEVER AND IT MAY BE LOCATED CLOSE TO SLAVE ROW. 13. SLAVE ROW: MOST SLAVE ROWS WERE BUILT LIKE A STREET OF SMALL CABINS WHERE THE FIELD HANDS LIVED. YOUR CABINS CAN BE SOLID AND BRICK OR SIMPLE AND. SOME SLAVE ROWS WERE AS MUCH AS A MILE OR MORE FROM THE BIG HOUSE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE SLAVES CLOSER TO THE FIELDS. YOUR SLAVE ROW SHOULD BE FAIRLY CLOSE TO THE BARNYARD HOWEVER. FIGURE ON HOUSING EIGHTY FIVE (85) FIELD HANDS WITH SIX (6) PEOPLE PER CABIN. DON T FORGET THE REQUIRED OUTHOUSES AND GARDENS. THE OPTIONAL ELEMENTS CHECKLIST: 1. SLAVE HOSPITAL THE WIFE OF THE PLANTATION OWNER WAS USUALLY IN CHARGE OF SICK SLAVES. AN OPERATION AS LARGE AS YOURS HOWEVER, OFTEN CONTRACTED WITH A LOCAL DOCTOR TO TREAT SICK SLAVES. MANY PLANTATIONS HAD A SEPARATE BUILDING (ABOUT TWO OR THREE TIMES AS LARGE AS A REGULAR CABIN) WHERE SICK SLAVES COULD BE ISOLATED AND TREATED. SOME SLAVE OWNERS EVEN HIRED A FULL-TIME DOCTOR TO LIVE ON THE PREMISES! 2. STABLES: THE BEST HORSES IN AMERICA WERE BRED AND RAISED IN THE SOUTH. MANY RICH MEN TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THEIR HORSES. AS SUCH, YOU MAY WISH TO ADD A SEPARATE BUILDING FOR STABLING THESE HORSES. 3. CROPS: YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO, BUT YOU ARE ENCOURAGED, TO ADD CROPS GROWING IN THE FIELD TO YOUR DRAWING. YOU COULD INCLUDE CORN, COTTON, TOBACCO, RICE OR SUGAR CANE. 4. RIVERS OR STREAMS: WHENEVER POSSIBLE, PLANTATIONS AS BIG AS YOURS WERE BUILT NEAR A SOURCE OF WATER TRANSPORTATION. SOMETIMES THE FRONT YARD OF THE BIG HOUSE ACTUALLY FACED THE RIVER INSTEAD OF THE INLAND ROAD. SOME KIND OF A STREAM OR CREEK WOULD ALSO BE REALISTIC FOR ANY PLANTATION DESIGN. 5. FORESTS: FARMS ARE SELDOM COMPLETELY PLANTED IN CROPS. THE PLANTATION OWNER WOULD SAVE A PORTION OF HIS PROPERTY AS FOREST SO HE COULD USE THE WOOD AT A LATER DATE FOR CONSTRUCTION PURPOSES OR BURNING FOR COOKING OR HEATING. 6. CEMETERIES: YOU MAY CHOOSE TO ADD A CEMETERY TO YOUR DESIGN. IF YOU DO, BE SURE TO ADD A MUCH SIMPLER ONE FOR THE SLAVES AS WELL. 7. REFLECTING POOL: SOME KIND OF RECTANGULAR POOL WAS SOMETIMES ADDED TO A LARGE FORMAL GARDEN PURELY FOR THE BEAUTY OF ITS REFLECTION. 8. HEDGE MAZE: SOME PLANTATIONS HAD A HEDGE MAZE IN THE FORMAL GARDEN WHERE SHRUBS WERE PLANTED IN THE SHAPE OF MAZE WHERE YOU WANDER YOUR WAY TO THE CENTER. 9. FENCES: PLANTATIONS NEVER HAD FENCES TO KEEP SLAVES FROM ESCAPING. THEY OFTEN HAD FENCES TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE LIVESTOCK HOWEVER. YOUR FENCES MUST BE WOODEN. A COMMON STYLE IS THE SPLIT RAIL OR WORM FENCE. 10. CHAPEL: MANY SLAVE OWNERS ENCOURAGED THEIR PEOPLE TO EMBRACE CHRISTIANITY. SOME OWNERS EVEN ALLOWED THE SLAVES TO BUILD THEIR OWN SMALL CHAPEL FOR WORSHIP. 11. SLAVE SECRET MEETING PLACE: MOST OWNERS KNEW VERY LITTLE ABOUT WHAT WENT ON IN SLAVE ROW. OFTEN TIMES, SLAVES WOULD HAVE SECRET MEETING PLACES DEEP IN THE WOODS WHERE THEY COULD SING AND WORSHIP IN THEIR OWN WAY -- AWAY FROM THE WHITE MAN.

4 STANDARDS FOR GRADING THIS PLANTATION ASSIGNMENT: GRADE C: 1. Plantation drawing contains all of the required components as listed above. (One or two minor items could be missing from the above lists and still meet standards.) 2. Plantation drawing contains at least three components from the optional list. 3. Plantation drawing is of the proper size and is colored. 4. Plantation drawing must show buildings in three - dimensions, or two - dimensional with the fronts of the buildings showing. (Don t draw buildings as seen from above showing only rooftops!) 5. The execution of your drawing shows a good deal of time and effort has been put into this assignment. 6. All parts of your plantation show attention to detail -- in other words, you didn t linger over some buildings and rush through others. GRADE B: 1. Meets all the requirements for a C, except no required components are missing, and the quality of the work is higher. GRADE A: 1. All requirements are met for a B. 2. In addition, you must choose four more components from the optional list (for a total of seven optional items.) 3. You design must show logic in the placement of buildings and paths. 4. Your design must show balance and symmetry in the formal areas of your plantation. 5. Your drawing must show exceptional attention to detail on the buildings and evidence of much time and effort. The buildings show realistic detail and drawing

5 SLAVE CABINS BRICK CABINS PROBABLY FROM SOUTH CAROLINA OR GEORGIA STRATFORD HALL, VIRGINIA

6 OVERSEER - TYPE HOUSES OVERSEER OR DOCTOR S HOUSE - STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA OVERSEER S HOUSE - STONE MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA LIVE OAK TREE EVERGREEN, LOUISIANA

7 PLANTATION BUILDINGS BRICK OUTHOUSE (3 HOLER), STONE MTN., GEORGIA COOKHOUSE, EVERGREEN PLANTATION, COOKHOUSE AND WELL HOUSE, STRATFORD HALL, VIRGINIA WELL HOUSE AND VEGETABLE GARDENS, STONE MOUNTAIN, GA STABLES, STRATFORD HALL, VA

8 THE BIG HOUSE EVERGREEN - LOUISIANA OAK ALLEY - LOUISIANA ROSALIE - MISSISSIPPI WESTOVER - VIRGINIA STANTON HALL - MISSISSIPPI

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