Jefferson's Poplar Forest: Unearthing a Virginia Plantation

257 Pages·2012·3.71 MB·English

by  Barbara J. Heath, Jack Gary

Jefferson’s Poplar Forest
University Press of Florida
Florida A&M University, Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, Ft. Myers
Florida International University, Miami
Florida State University, Tallahassee
New College of Florida, Sarasota
University of Central Florida, Orlando
University of Florida, Gainesville
University of North Florida, Jacksonville
University of South Florida, Tampa
University of West Florida, Pensacola

Jefferson’s
Poplar Forest
Unearthing a Virginia Plantation
Edited by Barbara J. Heath and Jack Gary
(cid:82)
University Press of Florida
Gainesville
Tallahassee
Tampa
Boca Raton
Pensacola
Orlando
Miami
Jacksonville
Ft. Myers
Sarasota
Funding for publication generously provided by
the Corporation for Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.
(cid:82)
Copyright 2012 by Barbara J. Heath and Jack Gary
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America. This book is printed on Glatfelter Natures Book, a paper
certified under the standards of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). It is a recycled stock that
contains 30 percent post-consumer waste and is acid-free.

17 16 15 14 13 12 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jefferson’s Poplar Forest : unearthing a Virginia plantation / edited by Barbara J. Heath and Jack Gary.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8130-3988-6
1. Poplar Forest (Va.)—Antiquities. 2. Poplar Forest (Va.)—History. 3. Jefferson, Thomas,
1743–1826—Homes and haunts—Virginia—Bedford County. 4. Plantation life—Virginia—Bedford
County—History. 5. Poplar Forest (Va.)—Social life and customs. 6. Excavations (Archaeology)—
Virginia—Bedford County. 7. Material culture—Virginia—Bedford County—History. 8. Archaeology
and history—Virginia—Bedford County. 9. Bedford County (Va.)—Antiquities.
I. Heath, Barbara J., 1960– II. Gary, Jack.
F234.P7J44 2012
975.5’675—dc23 2012001072

The University Press of Florida is the scholarly publishing agency for the State University
System of Florida, comprising Florida A&M University, Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast
University, Florida International University, Florida State University, New College of Florida, University
of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of South Florida,
and University of West Florida.
University Press of Florida
15 Northwest 15th Street
Gainesville, FL 32611-2079
http://www.upf.com
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Tables ix
List of Maps x
Preface xi
1. “Two Tracts of Land at the Poplar Forest”: A Historical and
Archaeological Overview of Thomas Jefferson’s Plantation Retreat 1
Barbara J. Heath and Jack Gary
2. A Brief History of Plantation Archaeology in Virginia 20
Barbara J. Heath
3. Seasons of Change: Community Life and Landscape
at the Foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 1740–1860 46
Eric Proebsting
4. A Landscape for Mr. Jefferson’s Retreat 69
Timothy Trussell
5. Ceramics and Jefferson’s Aesthetic Philosophy 85
Jack Gary
6. Slave Housing, Community Formation, and Community Dynamics
at Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest, 1760s–1810s 105
Barbara J. Heath
7. Carved in Stone: Stone Smoking Pipes at Historic Sites
in Central Virginia 129
Lori Lee
8. Social Dimensions of Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century
Slaves’ Uses of Plants at Poplar Forest 155
Jessica Bowes and Heather Trigg
9. Consumerism, Social Relations,
and Antebellum Slavery at Poplar Forest 172
Lori Lee
10. Founding Families: Reflections
on the Archaeology of Poplar Forest 189
Stephen A. Mrozowski
Bibliography 199
List of Contributors 233
Index 235
Figures
1.1. Poplar Forest Tract, 1749, plat map 3
1.2. Aerial view of the house and reconstructed wing 4
1.3. Sections through house showing upper and lower levels 5
1.4. Watercolor painting of the Poplar Forest landscape 6
1.5. Photograph of Emma and Edward Hutter 7
1.6. Excavations at the Wing of Offices 10
3.1. A detailed view of Frye and Jefferson’s map of Virginia 48
3.2. Plat map of the Tomahawk Quarter Farm at Poplar Forest, 1809 55
3.3. Pounds of tobacco received in 1794 and 1806 at the Spring Tobacco
Warehouse, Lynchburg, Virginia 57
3.4. Quarter Site artifacts related to hunting and diet 58
3.5. Photograph of 1856 granary 63
4.1. West octagonal privy 70
4.2. View of the house, sunken lawn, and east mound 71
4.3. Detailed view of 1813 map of Poplar Forest showing the curtilage
boundary 72
4.4. Extant tulip poplar trees in the north yard 73
4.5. South lawn at Poplar Forest 75
4.6. Schematic showing landscape features in the core area around the
main house 77
4.7. Comparison of Poplar Forest and Villa Barbaro 81
5.1. Transfer-printed plates in the Oxford and Cambridge College series 95
5.2. Picturesque transfer-printed plates 97
5.3. Hand-painted pearlware teaware 98
5.4. The Rotunda at the University of Virginia 101
5.5. Transfer-printed plate in the Foliage and Scroll series 102
6.1. Population growth at Poplar Forest, 1774–1819 114
7.1. Schist pipe blank from the Quarter Site 133
7.2. Six schist pipes from the Quarter Site 134
viii Figures
7.3. Cross-hatched pipe-bowl fragment 135
7.4. Polygon decoration on bowl fragment 135
7.5. Schist pipes from Jefferson’s Wing of Offices 140
7.6. Candler phyllite pipe blank from Shadwell and steatite pipe from
Monticello 142
7.7. Stone pipe blank from Monticello 143
7.8. Decorated stone pipes from Albemarle County sites 144
7.9. Schist pipe-bowl fragment from Point of Honor 146
7.10. Schist pipe from Sweet Briar 147
8.1. Proportion of seeds from various habitats 167
8.2. Proportion of wood with fair, good, and excellent heat value 168
9.1. Clothing fastener depicting a clenched right fist 178
9.2. Mrs. Lydia Johnson, ca. 1910s 182
9.3. Personal adornment items from Site A 185
9.4. Pierced Spanish real with teeth marks 185
Tables
3.1. Property owned by Edward Hutter, the top quartile of landowners, and
all free households in Forest Depot, Virginia, 1860 65
5.1. Number of Jefferson-era vessels recovered from Site B and the Wing of
Offices 93
5.2. Jefferson-era vessels identified at Poplar Forest by type, decoration,
and form 94
5.3. Jefferson-era transfer-printed series and patterns recovered from the
Wing of Offices and Site B 96
6.1. Enslaved population at Poplar Forest, 1774–1819 (available years) 114
6.2. Enslaved women and their descendants living at Poplar Forest in 1819
115
6.3. House sizes and subfloor pit frequencies, Poplar Forest 119
7.1. Description of stone pipes recovered at historic sites in central Virginia
130
8.1. Seeds and fruits identified from archaeological remains at Poplar
Forest slave quarter sites 161
8.2. Wood species identified from archaeological remains at Poplar Forest
slave quarter sites 162
8.3. Taxonomic richness of seeds and fruits recovered from various sites at
Poplar Forest 165
8.4. Locations at Poplar Forest where seed and fruit taxa recovered from
slave households are found 166
9.1. Partial list of slaves hired out from Poplar Forest, 1844–1861 181