Commissary - Pay Shed

Commissary - Pay Shed. . , 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.