Brunswick in Glynn County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Commissary - Pay Shed
| | Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site | |
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, January 14, 2022
1. Commissary - Pay Shed Marker
Commissary
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Commissary was the hub of the plantation community. In pre Civil War days the Commissary was a place where the plantation owner distributed food and clothing to his slaves. With the end of slavery the freed African American workers were required to purchase these items. Operating as what later came to be known as a country store the Commissary offered food, clothing and dry goods for the isolated community. The plantation owner would extend credit to his workers for these purchases. As such the system became a sort of debt peonage, keeping the workers dependent upon the owner. With the demise of rice culture and improved means of transportation, the building began to be used as a barn in the Hofwyl Dairy days.
Pay Shed
The small white building directly behind you was the plantation Pay Shed. Built after the Civil War, it symbolizes the changing status of African American workers. With the end of slavery, those who had labored in the rice fields now did so with payment for services rendered. It was here that the workers received the fruits of their labor. It was also likely here that deductions were made for items purchased at the Commissary store.
Erected by State of Georgia.
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1806.
Location. 31° 18.278′ N, 81° 27.256′ W. Marker is in Brunswick, Georgia, in Glynn County. It can be reached from Ocean Highway (U.S. 17) east of Grants Ferry Road (Georgia Route 99), on the left when traveling south. Located on the grounds of the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5556 US-17, Brunswick GA 31525, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Coastal Plain and on the Georgia Coast and the Golden Isles. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hofwyl Plantation (within shouting distance of this marker); House Servants Quarters (within shouting distance of this marker); Hofwyl Dairy (within shouting distance of this marker); Twentieth-Century Changes (within shouting distance of this marker); The Legacy of the Land and the Stewards of Hofwyl-Broadfield (within shouting distance of this marker); Enslavement, Resistance, Creativity, and Resilience (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); If Trees Could Speak (about 800 feet away); Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation State Historic Site (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Brunswick.
Also see . . . Friends of Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation
Photographed by Brandon D Cross, January 14, 2022
2. Commissary - Pay Shed Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on February 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 31, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 443 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 31, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
