Reconstructed Log House for Enslaved People

Item

Type
House
Title
Reconstructed Log House for Enslaved People
Rationale
Provides insights into the living conditions of enslaved people on the Dickinson Plantation.
Description
This log building is a reconstruction of the type of housing inhabited by the enslaved people, and later tenants and indentured servants who lived, worked, and died at the John Dickinson Plantation. Painful narratives associated with the institution of slavery both at the site and in the early history of the United States complicate the idea of "freedom" that patriot leaders such as John Dickinson ostensibly championed. Buildings such as this were one of the few ways to gather and spread culture and community.

The cabin is a replica built of wood with a dirt floor and a functional fireplace. Ladders provided access to the half story upstairs.
Date
The 1700s through 1800s (original house)
The 1900s (reconstruction)
Place
Dover, DE
Creator
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Medium
Wood dwelling house
Publisher
Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs
Rights
The copyright and related rights status of this item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available (noted above in Publisher and Identifier) for more information.