A Slave Village - Towson, MD
Posted by: 
bluesnote
N 39° 25.243 W 076° 35.162
18S E 363476 N 4364665
One of many historical markers at Hampton National Historic Site in Towson, Maryland.
Waymark Code: WM15DY6
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 12/16/2021
Views: 3
The plaque says, "Slave/Workers Quarters, ca 1855
To our eyes, the stone facades and decorative woodwork that adorn these buildings seem at odds with their use as slave quarters. But the entire farm site—based on a popular European architectural concept called ferme ornee (ornamental farm)--was intentionally designed to look like a picturesque village. Such ornamentation offered the Ridgelys a more pleasing view from the mansion. The living quarters were located in the center of the farm, in close proximity to places of work. Enslaved families were often large and the space was likely crowded. Most slaves had few personal possessions, and children likely slept on a straw mattress on the floor. After Emancipation those buildings housed tenant farmers.
(Inscription in the lower right)
This photograph shows the quarters as they looked in 1897 when tenant farmers resided here. Ashes, used for making soap, were collected in the small stone house to the left. Some of the tenant farmers had been or were descended from slaves on the estate."
Civil Right Type: Race (includes U.S. Civil Rights movement)
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