Shirley Plantation - Day 6

Today we traveled to Virginia’s first plantation, Shirley Plantation. It is still run and operated by an eleventh generation in the Carter family. It was founded in 1613 and many of the original building still exist on the property. We took a guided tour of the grand master’s house. Within the main house, we entered into a main hall that was used as one time for parties and dancing. There were original tables with marble tops that were once used to serve food on (marble tabletops retained heat of the food that was set on the table).

There was a special entryway into the main hall for the slaves or servants to enter with the food. The other rooms off the main room was a living area set up as a tea room. There were several portraits hanging on the walls of the many people that had lived in the house. The next room was the dining room with original silver that was over 300 years old. The last room was the master and headmistress’ sleeping quarters. During the day, it was the headmistress’ office where she did her paperwork and met with servants to plan the day’s meals.

The Shirley Plantation was one of the only plantations in the south that didn’t succumb to looting during the Civil War. One morning the people on the estate awoke to plantation surrounded by Northern soldiers. The plantation owner was known for treating the Northern troops with kindness; therefore, General McCarthy signed a treaty to not harm the plantation estate or anyone who lived there.

The grounds were filled with many original buildings. Near the main house was the kitchen, root cellar, and the laundry house. The first floor of the buildings were used for a main purpose while the second floor was sleeping quarters for the slaves. The slaves with more important duties lived nearer to the main house. We also saw a smokehouse where the meat was cured to preserve it for a later time.

The kitchen was used to prepare meals for the family. It was separate from the Great House because of the risk of fire, odor, and heat associated with cooking. The laundry house was used for washing and mending clothes of the many house guests. The root cellar was used to store food such as potatoes, turnips, apples, and other food. 

There was a sign hanging in the kitchen of food rations that had been given to the slaves at Shirley Plantation.  We found out that there was once a slave there with the last name, Jefferson.  The slave owners used this paper to keep track of how much food each person was given.

A stable was near the smokehouse where horses, carriages, and other equipment were stored. Horses were a status symbol to planters in Virginia so it was important to own many horses. Another building was the ice house. Ice was harvested from the nearby James River and packed correctly in the ice house, it would last throughout the summer to preserve food. It was stored in a 21 foot deep ice pit to stay cool throughout the summer months.

The final building was the dovecote. Doves were considered a dining delicacy during the 1700 and 1800s; therefore, a special building was built for doves to roost and raise their young. Inside the dovecote were 108 roosts circling the inside of the circular building.

Visiting the plantation was fascinating. The grounds were impeccable and very well kept. It is still surrounded by corn and wheat fields. This is definitely a place that marks time in history!