Hidden Labor

Hidden Labor. Catoctin Furnace Iron Trail.

“There is a sufficient number of stone and log dwelling houses for all necessary hands, also a superior dwelling house, stables, carriage house, large and handsome garden, and ice house, a store house and all necessary out houses for the accommodation of the owner if he should wish to reside there.” , , Advertisement for the sale of Catoctin Furnace in The Baltimore American, November 22, 1847.

, The ruins in front of you include the remains of the many outbuildings that contributed to the running of the Ironmaster's mansion. These small structures included a wagon shed, corn crib, woodshed, spring house, chicken house, and privy. Each one supported the lifestyle of the ironmaster and his family.

Notice the position of these buildings in relation to the mansion. A visitor approaching from the main road would have seen only the imposing manor house. The layout of the mansion itself also ensured that the work of servants and enslaved people remained out of sight: The kitchen, service areas, and living quarters for the laborers were in the basement. Why do you think the mansion and the surrounding property were arranged in this manner?, [Captions:] , (Top left) Photographs from 1941 show the remains of some buildings. In this image, the structure to the left is the wagon shed. A corn crib sits next to it on the right., (Top right) Firewood was stored in this small woodshed., (Bottom left) The outbuildings pictured here include a spring house for keeping water clean and farm products cool on the left, as well as a chicken house and privy on the right., » (Lower right) Enslaved workers kept the manor running through chores like taking care of livestock.