The Riley Plantation

The Riley Plantation. . , This illustration imagines what the property looked like 200 years ago when Josiah Henson was enslaved here. The Riley House was positioned on a hill above Old Georgetown Road. A number of outbuildings were scattered around the property to house enslaved people, shelter livestock, and store goods. To the west and north, a series of fields stretched as far as the eye could see., [Captions:] , Slave Quarters , An array of small building served as living quarters for the men, women, and children , as many as 22 , enslaved here., Overseer's House , This building was home to the Rileys' white overseer. It is possible that Josiah Henson moved in with his family when he was named overseer., Meathouse , Also known as a smokehouse, this structure held meat that was smoked and stored for future use. In the days before refrigeration, preserved meat held high value., Bank Barn , In addition to growing field crops, Isaac Riley also kept livestock on the farm, including horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens., Riley House , The timber frame house that was home to the Riley family was the focal point of this early 1800s plantation. Henson referred to it as a well-furnished "great house.", Log Kitchen , In the kitchen, the enslaved cook prepared meals for the Riley family. The log walls of the kitchen standing today date to 1850., The Plantation Over Time , 1863 Border (262 acres) , Today (3.35 acres)