I
didn’t check the weather before leaving this morning and because yesterday was
78 degrees, I didn’t put on a turtleneck. The temperature was only 50 degrees
and it was windy. When I got to the plantation at 9:30, it felt very cold.
Luckily, I’d left sweater and coat in the truck and I needed both. As a matter
of fact, I even did up the top two buttons on the coat to protect my neck.
I
paid the fee at the ticket booth and was given a map. First up, the carriage
ride in which I was the only passenger. They had a blanket on the bench which I
gratefully put over my lap. I am finding the history of these areas so
fascinating and the tour guides are great. The carriage bumped over muddy paths
through 20 foot tall sugar cane. Wow, that’s tall. She said that it now grows
wild and they use if for barricades.
Unfortunately,
the ride was too bumpy to take many photographs or to take notes. Between the
carriage ride and the slavery tour, I am piecing together the story as well as
I can remember:
Two
Middleton brothers had come to America from Barbados (the family was originally
from England.) They wanted to build plantations like in Barbados yet be like
English aristocracy. Their empire grew as they acquired more land through grants
from the king. Henry Middleton acquired the current property through his
marriage to Mary Williams.
Timber,
hunting for hides, and cattle were the earliest commodities to sell. There were
about 7,000 acres to this property although the family owned many other places.
Henry Middleton set out to create an immense garden and slaves were put to work
under the instruction of an English landscaper.
Along
with sugar cane from Barbados, rice was brought from Madagascar. At first, an experiment,
rice turned out to be the crop to bring the fortune and this was all possible
because of the labor of slaves. Indentured servants did not work out because
they could not take the humidity and the hard physical labor. Native Americans
did not work out as slaves because they could easily disappear.
African
slaves were originally the booty of warring nations with the winning kings or
tribal leaders trading them for needed supplies and goods. Charleston was the
major port in America. Some of the slaves brought to America were highly
skilled; carpenters, masons, seamstresses, and more and it was through the
African culture that the rice plantations became so profitable for the
planters.
Middleton
slaves worked on a task system. A slave was assigned a task for the day and
when that task was done, the day was done and he/she could go “home.” The work
day was Monday through Friday with a half day on Saturday and Sundays off. Each
family was allowed a little plot to have a garden of their own. Slaves
generally ate well-balanced meals because it was important to keep them healthy
and strong.
By
the time of the Revolutionary War, Arthur Middleton (later a signer of the
Declaration of Independence,) was a staunch supporter for American liberty and
when the British stormed up from Savannah, Middleton was imprisoned in St.
Augustine. The British ransacked the mansion. Middleton returned to rebuild.
The
Civil War was devastating to plantation owners. Union soldiers overtook
Middleton Place and destroyed most everything, burning the main house and north
wing and even demolishing the slaves’ homes. The odd thing is that they never
touched the chapel or the rice mill building. Those are still standing today.
With
the freeing of the slaves and with no one left to tend the fields, the days of
plantations were over. Some rebuilding went on and some former slaves came back
to work for the Middletons. Just because slaves were “free,” that didn’t permit
them acceptance or jobs. They were still poor, they were still uneducated (by
American standards,) they were still considered barbarians; in other words,
they were only free in name only.
Then
in 1886, the Great Earthquake shook the country side. The main house and north wing
were then totally destroyed and the property was left to go wild for a number
of years.
Today,
this part of the property consists of 110 acres of sculptured lawns and
gardens, and restored out buildings. One thing that impressed me very much was
that a lot of the fencing and some of the outbuildings were made from the
bricks from the destroyed main house and north wing.
Oh,
I could go on, but this is not a history lesson… well, maybe for me. After my
one person tour, I wandered around on my own. The plantation house and restaurant
were closed for renovations, but there was plenty to see. I visited the stable
area where there are not only barn yard animals, but also peacocks and water
buffalo. I spent the last hour meandering through garden pathways, down to the
river and along the ponds. What was really nice was that the trails were either
dirt or brick which made it easy to walk quietly. I don’t like to make noise
when I walk.
I
did see one small alligator, though the day was too cold for them. I wandered
high ground and low and took many photos of those massive trees. It would be
wonderful to go back sometime. They said the best time to visit is the end of
March when all the azaleas are in bloom.
I
stopped in the museum gift store, bought some post cards and three books. Two
were on the Middletons and their slaves and the third is about the belles of
plantations. Hmmm, think a little reading might be in order for tonight.
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