Hewn-Timber Cabins

Francis Marion University

History

• African Americans came to this region in great numbers in the early 1800’s. They cleared the land, built houses and barns, and worked in the cotton fields from sunrise to sunset

History

• Around 1836, the slaves of J. Eli Gregg built eight Hewn-Timber cabins along a little road called “The Street.” The street ran through the cotton fields of the Gregg’s property.

Living Conditions

• They lived under harsh conditions as slaves until emancipation in the 1860’s. In the years that followed, the cabins were scattered to different locations. The occupants continued to work hard as farm laborers and sharecroppers. By 1950 all of the people had moved away and the buildings remained empty.

Cabin Size

• The small cabins were used largely as sleeping quarters during slavery. After Emancipation, sharecroppers lived in the cabins with rooms added but without the luxuries taken for granted today.

Wall Coverings

• The people who lived in these houses covered the walls with newspaper to keep the cold wind out and to brighten the cabin walls. Some say the newspapers also distracted evil spirits who had to read everything before entering.

Workday

• An average workday would last from before dawn to after dusk. A bell was used to signal the slaves that the workday was beginning. Even after the emancipation, the bell rang its morning call to work.

Handmade Items

• Many of the objects inside the cabins are handmade. There are baskets, food trays, gourd dippers, patchwork quilts, and yard brooms.

Miss Catherine

• Catherine Waiters and her husband Archie lived in the house for many years. She was know to follow the African custom of sweeping the yard everyday.

Forever in History

• The cabins were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and nine acres were donated for their preservation in 1980. These cabins stand as monuments to the people who built them and who lived in them.