The Slave Quarters

The Slave Quarters. . , Over the years, around a hundred enslaved men, women, and children lived here on the Patton plantation., Eighteen slave cabins once stood near this spot, forming a small community separate from the "big house" across the creek. The slaves would have had their own small vegetable gardens and hunted small game, like rabbits. On this plantation, marriage was encouraged and slaves lived with their families. These quarters were always full of children., What Did These Homes Look Like? , In front of you are the outlines of a slave cabin foundation. The buildings here were "double-pen" structures with two living spaces sharing a wall that had a double fireplace. An entire family of five or more slaves would live together in one of these 12' x 12" rooms., What Did The Slaves Do For Fun? , A visiting Austrian sketched this somewhat idealized scene of slave community life in nearby Louisiana. Slaves here had very little free time, but archeologists have found harmonica fragments and children's toys - suggesting that, like people everywhere, the slaves of Patton plantation found time to play music and enjoy community life.