Sudley in Prince William County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Slave Quarter
Ben Lomond
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), July 5, 2020
1. Slave Quarter Marker
Inscription.
Slave Quarter. Ben Lomond.
Unusual Construction. One of Prince William County's few surviving slave quarters was built in 1832 to house the enslaved community at Ben Lomond. Constructed from the same field stone as the house, the slave quarters is unusual since most slave quarters were crudely constructed of wood. Inside, the quarter is divided into two rooms for the approximately ten enslaved people that lived there., Each day these slaves would be up before dawn and in the fields planting corn or wheat or taking care of the numerous plantation livestock. At noon they were allowed an hour lunch break, followed by continued work until nightfall.,
Life in the Quarter. After returning from the fields, slaves spent the rest of the day with their friends and family in relative peace. Although dimly lit by candles and the fireplace, slaves would gather in the quarters to play music, tell folk tales, sew, and cook., Directly outside the quarter would have been a small garden, providing the enslaved community with fresh vegetables to supplement their issued food of salt pork and corn meal. The chickens and pigs roaming nearby could be slaughtered for the slaves' own use or sold to the Chinns for a small profit.,
Preserving the Quarter. By 1861 this building no longer housed slaves, possibly allowing it to be used as a trading post. In 1979 the quarter was moved from its original location on the other side of the house in order to save it from demolition.
Unusual Construction
One of Prince William County's few surviving slave quarters was built in 1832 to house the enslaved community at Ben Lomond. Constructed from the same field stone as the house, the slave quarters is unusual since most slave quarters were crudely constructed of wood. Inside, the quarter is divided into two rooms for the approximately ten enslaved people that lived there.
Each day these slaves would be up before dawn and in the fields planting corn or wheat or taking care of the numerous plantation livestock. At noon they were allowed an hour lunch break, followed by continued work until nightfall.
Life in the Quarter
After returning from the fields, slaves spent the rest of the day with their friends and family in relative peace. Although dimly lit by candles and the fireplace, slaves would gather in the quarters to play music, tell folk tales, sew, and cook.
Directly outside the quarter would have been a small garden, providing the enslaved community with fresh vegetables to supplement their issued food of salt pork and corn meal. The chickens and pigs roaming nearby could be slaughtered for the slaves' own use or sold to the Chinns for a small profit.
Preserving the Quarter
By
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1861 this building no longer housed slaves, possibly allowing it to be used as a trading post. In 1979 the quarter was moved from its original location on the other side of the house in order to save it from demolition.
Erected by Prince William County Department of Public Works, Historic Preservation Division.
Location. 38° 47.325′ N, 77° 30.409′ W. Marker is in Sudley, Virginia, in Prince William County. Marker is at the intersection of Sudley Manor Drive and Copeland Drive, on the right when traveling east on Sudley Manor Drive. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10315 Sudley Manor Dr, Manassas VA 20109, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 5, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 169 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on July 5, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
