Edgewater in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Java Plantation Life
Life on the Quarter
Photographed By Don Morfe, February 10, 2015
1. Java Plantation Life Marker
Inscription.
Java Plantation Life. Life on the Quarter. While the plantation owner’s house was situated on a hill, African American slaves had to live in less desirable surroundings. Slave quarters were built in low, marshy area near the water. Mosquitoes and damp living conditions were a constant problem.
The quarters usually were one or two room houses built of wood and mud with dirt floors. Fireplaces and chimneys, if present, were also made from mud and sticks. Glass was expensive and difficult to get, so there were no windows.
Houses were crowded; space was at a premium. Children slept on boards that leaned against the wall or fireplace. Can you imagine sleeping like that? African Americans had to make their own furniture and utensils. Although the plantation owner supplied the slaves with a basic diet of corn and porK, most slaves added extra foods by gardening, fishing, or trapping.
While the plantation owner’s house was situated on a hill, African American slaves had to live in less desirable surroundings. Slave quarters were built in low, marshy area near the water. Mosquitoes and damp living conditions were a constant problem.
The quarters usually were one or two room houses built of wood and mud with dirt floors. Fireplaces and chimneys, if present, were also made from mud and sticks. Glass was expensive and difficult to get, so there were no windows.
Houses were crowded; space was at a premium. Children slept on boards that leaned against the wall or fireplace. Can you imagine sleeping like that? African Americans had to make their own furniture and utensils. Although the plantation owner supplied the slaves with a basic diet of corn and porK, most slaves added extra foods by gardening, fishing, or trapping.
Location. 38° 53.355′ N, 76° 32.929′ W. Marker is in Edgewater, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker is on Dock Road. The marker is affixed to the wall of the Java Farm Tobacco Barn. It is on the grounds of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Edgewater MD 21037, United States of America. Touch for directions.
2. Java Plantation Life Marker affixed to the Tobacco Barn
Photographed By Don Morfe, February 10, 2015
3. Java Plantation Life Marker
Library of Congress
4. Five Generations of an African American Family, 1862
by Timothy O'Sullivan.
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, September 1, 2018
5. A Maryland Slave Cabin
Photograph by Carroll Hughes.
Close-up of photo on marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, September 1, 2018
6. Interior
Illustration by Tim Kestel.
Close-up of image on marker
Credits. This page was last revised on September 14, 2018. It was originally submitted on February 16, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 441 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 16, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. 4, 5, 6. submitted on September 7, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
