Wing of Offices Introduction
You are standing in front of Jefferson’s service wing. In the summer of 1814 Jefferson wrote to his son-in-law John Wayles Eppes,“ . . . . I have this summer built a wing of offices 110 feet long, in the manner of those at Monticello. “In this wing he put a work room, kitchen, laundry and smokehouse. On most plantations these would have been separate buildings scattered about the landscape. A random placement of buildings within his formal landscape did not work for Jefferson. He pulled all these needed buildings together and in the style of Palladio, he created order with the service wing.The wing is nestled into the hillside so that from the front of the house, it has a very low profile and is not obtrusive. From the front it also gives the illusion of the house being a one story structure.Eleven years after Jefferson wrote the letter to his son-in-law, John Hemmings, the enslaved craftsman, wrote to Jefferson’s youngest granddaughter “. . .we have all the Tarrst [sic] to do yet wich is one hundred feet Long and 22 feet 8 inchs wide.”John Hemmings and his wife Priscilla were fond of all the Randolph children, but had a special bond with the two youngest, Septimia and George. When Hemmings had to travel to Poplar Forest in 1815, he confided to Jefferson’s granddaughter Ellen Randolph that “he had cried for about five miles of the road after taking leave of her [Septimia].” Investigation by Poplar Forest’s Archaeology and Restoration Departments revealed that John Hemmings was indeed correct in his measurement of the wing. As it should have been since Hemmings was working on the terras roof!In post Jefferson years, the wing fell into disrepair. The two rooms closest to the house were taken down and the land returned to a grassy area. The wing is now back to Jefferson’s original design. Please enjoy each room to learn more about the spaces and the people who worked in them.
1st Room of the Wing
You are in room 1 of the Wing. Jefferson’s records leave no indication as to what this room was used for, most likely it was used as storage. It was too close to the kitchen to be a dairy and too small for weaving. Today it is used to showcase some of the plantation industries that took place here at Poplar Forest during Jefferson’s time: mainly the construction of the wing and textile production.The display across the north wall gives a basic history of the Wing from Jefferson’s time until today. Archaeological investigations unearthed some of Jefferson’s original brick flooring. The original flooring has been covered by restoration brick to preserve it. The display also provides information on the restoration of the terras roof over the wing.Jefferson’s letters to and from the overseer discuss the spinning and weaving industry that took place at Poplar Forest. These letters discussed the activity itself and also the enslaved women who were the spinners and weavers. Today these women would be known as fiber artisans. Jefferson instructed that Bess and Abby, the older enslaved women, were to take two of the young women, Lucy and Sally, and teach them to spin in their own cabins. That way as Jefferson indicated “…one wheel will serve for two persons.” Cate Hubbard taught her granddaughter Nisy and another enslaved young woman, Maria to spin. They learned on wool wheels and flax wheels. Wool wheels were used more in the spring after Jefferson’s Tunis and Merino sheep were sheared.Spinning was carried out in the slave cabins that dotted the landscape up until the spinning jenny arrived. Then the operation was moved to the newly built spinning house. Maria, the great- niece of Cate Hubbard was sent to Monticello to be trained in the textile shop. Maria learned on the loom with a flying shuttle and she also learned on the spinning jenny. And in Jefferson’s words, she became “a capital spinner”. And now Jefferson had someone who could teach others at Poplar Forest how to operate the spinning jenny. Spinning jennies were massive machines - at least 4 feet wide. Jefferson was concerned that the door to the spinning house would not be wide enough to get the machine in. Jefferson’s letter to the overseer, Jeremiah Goodman gave instructions on building the doors to the spinning house. “In making your spinning house let the door be 4 f. 6. i. wide in the clear to let in the machine of 24 spindles.” Hannah, Jefferson’s enslaved cook and housekeeper, was the “supervisor” of the spinning house even though Maria was probably the best spinner. Carding of the fibers to get the fibers out of the flax stalks was done in the spinning house also, along with weaving on looms.The large loom in the room today is called a Jack Loom and is post-Jefferson. The spinning jenny that Maria and Hannah worked on was a much larger machine than the loom here.
Kitchen
You are now in the kitchen. Jefferson’s kitchen is the largest room in the wing. This room has been restored based on Jefferson’s records and detailed research by the Poplar Forest Architecture and Archaeology Departments. Just as Jefferson did in the kitchen at Monticello, he incorporated French cooking innovations here at Poplar Forest. There are 3 stew stoves which were placed under the windows for ventilation. Stew stoves were used for cooking all types of dishes, with the experienced cook being able to create delicate sauces that needed slow simmering.In the corner is a big round set kettle with a wooden lid. This kepta ready supply of hot water for cooking and cleaning. Water was replenished throughout the day. The nearest water source was Jefferson’s Spring which is about 400 feet from the kitchen. Hauling water during the day would have been the responsibility of one of the enslaved children who helped here in the kitchen. The bake oven and open fireplace with the swing crane completed the Jefferson-era kitchen.Jefferson’s personal vegetable garden was located to the east, past where the 1857 Slave Dwelling stands today. The garden was tended by an enslaved gardener named Nace. Some of the vegetables Nace tended were asparagus, sea kale, artichokes, heirloom tomatoes, squash, okra, spinach, and of course peas; peas being Jefferson’s favorite vegetable. Fruit was also grown here: gooseberries, raspberries, and watermelons. The orchard produced apples and peaches.In addition to food from his garden, Jefferson bought poultry, eggs and produce from his enslaved community. This was not an uncommon practice on Virginia plantations. In 1813, Jefferson paid $3 for 6 turkeys from Cate, an enslaved woman. Neighbors, like Mrs. Walker, would often send fruits and meats for Jefferson’s table. Other food stuffs had to be purchased: coffee, tea, chocolate, sugar, cheese, olive oil, mustard, and spices.In the early 1790s, Hannah, along with her parents and siblings were moved here from Monticello. She worked in the fields until around 1811 when she became Jefferson’s cook and laundress. Hannah’s day was longer than sunup to sundown and she would not have been the only enslaved person working in this space. Some of the enslaved children who were too young to work in the fields most likely helped in the kitchen. Water had to be consistently brought in from the streams and springs; vegetables needed to be gathered from the vegetable garden in addition to other tasks. When inviting neighbors to dinner, Jefferson invited them for a meal of “simple plantation fare”. From this space, Hannah prepared two meals a day and the evening tea. Burwell Colbert, the enslaved butler, most likely delivered the meals from the kitchen to the dining room. Colbert did not need to stay in the dining room. If Jefferson needed something during the meal, he could pull a cord in the dining room which rang a bell outside the kitchen door. Colbert most likely stayed within hearing distance of that bell.Hannah was literate and in November of 1818, she wrote a letter to Jefferson when he wasn’t able to come for his planned visit. A copy of Hannah’s letter is on the work table. From Jefferson’s records we know that Hannah was not just the cook. Her additional duties were keeping the house in good order, getting the laundry done and when Jefferson was not in residence she was in charge of the spinning and weaving house. Hannah was also able to attend to sick and injured people, all talents that made her an important member of the enslaved community.For more information about the restoration of Jefferson’s kitchen and how it was used, please press the button on the west wall display.
Laundry
In Jefferson’s time, this room beside the kitchen was the laundry. The laundry fireplace backed up to the kitchen in order to share the same chimney. The marks on the west wall, to the left, indicate the size of Jefferson’s fireplace. During the Hutter ownership of Poplar Forest, the first two rooms of the wing, Room 1 and the kitchen were demolished. This room and the one next to the mound were rebuilt as a kitchen and a smokehouse. The large cavernous fireplace you see on the right side of the room is the remains of the Hutter-era fireplace that stood in their kitchen. When the Wing of Offices was rebuilt in 2009, this fireplace was left in place as a reminder of this room’s dynamic past. The swing crane that’s currently in Jefferson’s kitchen was found in this fireplace.Jefferson did not leave much comment on this room. What is known about the laundry is based on archaeological research, the architecture of the fireplace, and the historical record. Archaeological excavations discovered a large number of buttons in the vicinity of this room. That discovery points to this room being a laundry. The laundering process could be hard on materials, especially clothing with buttons and embellishments.Laundry “day” throughout the South could be more than just a day. Linens that were used most often, such as table linens, personal clothing items, and cleaning rags were laundered once a week. Larger items or those used less often were laundered once a month or once a season depending on the item. A large copper kettle was used to heat water that was then transferred into a large wooden washing tub. Cloth was usually soaked before soap was added and stains were rubbed out. Items were then boiled and treated with bleaching or starching agents. After wringing, the laundry was hung to dry. Ironing often took place on a different day. In places without a dedicated laundry room, the whole process took place outside.Hannah, Jefferson’s enslaved cook and housekeeper, most likely did or supervised the laundry for Jefferson and his family when they were in residence. By 1821, Hannah had another enslaved woman named Maria, as her assistant. Jefferson’s granddaughter Ellen Randolph, seemed to be fond of Hannah but less so of Maria. In a letter to her mother in 1817, Ellen wrote “…the towels were a ‘heart some sight’ but I am afraid that loute Maria will ruin them by bad washing”.Laundry and ironing were very time consuming and extremely labor intensive, yet they are jobs that are less thought of when talking about the work load of a plantation.
Smokehouse
You are now in the vestibule of the smokehouse. As you stand inside this small space, imagine 3 walls around you. The wall to the right was a plain wall. The wall to the left had a locked door. The wall in front of you had a low firebox that was open to this area and to the meat smoking area beyond.With the firebox open to both areas, wood could be added to keep the fire going without having to go into the smoking area. Tending the fire was tasked to selected enslaved people. While the fire needed to be tended, the outside door was left unlocked. The door to the meat smoking area, where all those hams were hanging, was always locked. The overseer had possession of the keys to both areas. Most likely when Jefferson was in residence, Burwell Colbert, Jefferson’s enslaved manservant would have possession of the keys, if only for the time they were here.The slaughter of pigs and hogs generally took place in autumn or early winter. Then they were hung in the smoking area to be cured. Before the hogs were slaughtered Jefferson would write to his overseer instructing how to divide them up. In 1812, Jefferson estimated that there were 72 hogs at Poplar Forest. He instructed Goodman the overseer to reserve 23 for the slaves, giving every grown working adult a half a hog apiece. However, enslaved workers Hal & Jame Hubbard were to each receive 1 whole hog. Hal was the blacksmith. Jame Hubbard was the headman on the Bear Creek quarter at Poplar Forest. The extra half a hog was most likely an incentive or a bonus for the entrusted jobs they performed.That year Jefferson kept 6 hogs for himself and Hugh Chisolm, the free brick mason. The overseers always got some portion of the hogs, what was left was sent to Monticello. By 1821, Jefferson kept 10 hogs for his use at Poplar Forest. That year he instructed “If there is any old bacon left it will be acceptable here when the wagon [sic] brings the pork.” In addition to pork, Poplar Forest also supplied Monticello with beef, mutton, dried peaches, butter and soap. Enslaved people were tasked with transporting these goods to Monticello by wagon. This gave them an often rare opportunity to visit with family or friends, if only for a brief period.Please visit the house beyond the mound, the 1857 Slave Dwelling, to learn more about the Poplar Forest Enslaved Community during Jefferson’s ownership.
