honors variant essays

                The Fletcher family burial ground is located at Monument hill and is the resting place of multiple members of the family, close family friends and early members of the college. Atop the hill rests the Fletcher monument  and Elijah's marble obelisk.  The size, layout and details of the burial are similar to the Ancient Egyptian outlook and connection to mortality. Because the burial ground is quite elaborate and embellished, it can be interpreted that the Fletcher's and others during this time period had a greater connection and  more respect for their dead than typical of today's time. Surrounding the monument are the resting places of Daisy, Indiana, and James Henry Williams. The original tombstone  of Daisy was vandalized and now resides behind the museum. That tombstone had an angle-like figure of Daisy and was thought to have been vandalized by Lucian.  Also resting at the burial ground are a few of the alumni from the college's early years and several cremated remains.  Elijah's monument on the hill has the inscription of " in loving memory of" which at the time was a very popular inscription upon tombstones. The marble the monument was created from was transported from Vermont which shows the wealth of the Fletcher's. This monument also represents how Fletcher's valued the memories of their dead enough to invests large amount of money for their memorials.

                In Elijah's letters it is evident how horses were used during that time period both before Elijah acquired the plantation and after.  In many of these letters Elijah talks about how travel, especially when he was traveling alone, was conducted on horseback. In one letter Elijah talks about potentially selling his mare because he needed cash.  From these letters it is possible to discern the role of the horse in plantation life. On the Sweet Briar plantation, horses were used in the plowing of fields and in transportation, both on and off the farm. Not only did Elijah ride, but his daughters would also take the horses, in carriage or astride, to visit friends, go into town and run errands. As mentioned by Elijah, without a personal horse, he felt quite dependent and unable to efficiently go about his day. Unlike in today's time where horses are seen as an luxury and are often spoiled, during the plantation era horses were working animals. Elijah mentions having his horse swim across a river as well as traveling and galloping long distances.  Horses were often a common aspect of hospitality and on many occasions Elijah mentioned having been given a horse to use while on travels by his hosts. Although Elijah only discusses his personal horses, because the plantation had a stable and did rely upon horses for plow work, it can be assumed that Elijah owned a mixture of horses including plow horses and carriage horses. Daisy also mentions having a personal horse and taking her horse when she needed to leave the plantation.

                The slave graveyard is located on the hill just past the upper Sweet Briar lake. Although there are several burial grounds at Sweet Briar, the slave burial ground is the largest with over 60 know graves and more than 19 unknown depressions. Many of the graves are marked either with a field stone or a quartz stone. The graves are scattered throughout the site but clusters may be family groupings of graves. The location of the slave burial ground could also be seen as symbolic. The stream crossing near the burial ground could symbolize the journey back to Africa and freedom. Most likely the hill was chosen to keep the bodies away from agricultural areas and from potentially infecting the water table. It is unknown what particular customs and traditions surround the Sweet Briar burial ground.

Sources:

http://www.tusculum.sbc.edu/SweetBriarPlantation/Article_SweetBriarCem_Rainville04.pdf

http://archive.org/details/lettersofelijahf00edit

http://archive.org/details/tusculumamherstc00rest

http://tusculum.sbc.edu/SweetBriarPlantation/history.shtml

Honors Variant: SBC ghost stories

Kat Jorgensen

Professor Rainville

Honors Variant

5 November 2012

            After attending the Sweet Briar Ghost Stories my initial reaction was surprise to the number of stories and circumstances in which students and staff had encounters with Daisy and other figures from the plantation era.  Many of the stories, especially those about Daisy, occurred in the President's house and include her harp, the mirrors and the great fire.  I know that at the time many of these stories were written the Meta Glass building was not in existence however  Daisy currently is said to live and be most present in Meta. After the stories I was wondering why Daisy's ghost has moved and why Meta was chosen. Additionally, from the variation of stories I heard, the description of Daisy was often portrayed different. In some stories Daisy appeared to be a young girl trailing her mother and wanting to have a playmate yet in others she is said to have a serious expression and a fondness for her harp. A majority of the stories focused on Daisy and occasionally Indiana however there was no mention of any other ghost such as Lucian. I was also wondering if there have been any ghost encounters with any of the former slaves of the plantation?  In one story there was a light that was carried across Boathouse Road and then snuffed out. In this story the ghosts could have been Indiana and Daisy or possibly slaves from their nearby cabins.

            The general atmosphere at Sweet Briar during the early 1900's was another aspect of the stories that I found intriguing. Currently Sweet Briar is considered to be in a rural setting however I can only imagine how isolated the college would have been during the early days. With many of these stories occurring at night and the fact that there were fewer lights outside during that time, the college must had a very eerie feel to it. Also with the lack of technology, many of the students seemed to be more creative and would write poems about their encounters with ghost. Today writing poems about theses occurrences seems slightly out of the ordinary but during that time period it was generally more common. Throughout the stories it is possible to tell that the close atmosphere between the students and faculty was present as many of the students lived in the Presidents house with their faculty and in their stories it was possible to tell that the students had close relationships with the faculty.

            Listening to the stories and accounts of students during the colleges early days was fascinating both because of the insight into the day-to-day events at the college but also the different perspectives and portrayals of Daisy and the other Sweet Briar ghost.

Honors Variant: SBC ghost stories

Kat Jorgensen

Professor Rainville

Honors Variant

5 November 2012

            After attending the Sweet Briar Ghost Stories my initial reaction was surprise to the number of stories and circumstances in which students and staff had encounters with Daisy and other figures from the plantation era.  Many of the stories, especially those about Daisy, occurred in the President's house and include her harp, the mirrors and the great fire.  I know that at the time many of these stories were written the Meta Glass building was not in existence however  Daisy currently is said to live and be most present in Meta. After the stories I was wondering why Daisy's ghost has moved and why Meta was chosen. Additionally, from the variation of stories I heard, the description of Daisy was often portrayed different. In some stories Daisy appeared to be a young girl trailing her mother and wanting to have a playmate yet in others she is said to have a serious expression and a fondness for her harp. A majority of the stories focused on Daisy and occasionally Indiana however there was no mention of any other ghost such as Lucian. I was also wondering if there have been any ghost encounters with any of the former slaves of the plantation?  In one story there was a light that was carried across Boathouse Road and then snuffed out. In this story the ghosts could have been Indiana and Daisy or possibly slaves from their nearby cabins.

            The general atmosphere at Sweet Briar during the early 1900's was another aspect of the stories that I found intriguing. Currently Sweet Briar is considered to be in a rural setting however I can only imagine how isolated the college would have been during the early days. With many of these stories occurring at night and the fact that there were fewer lights outside during that time, the college must had a very eerie feel to it. Also with the lack of technology, many of the students seemed to be more creative and would write poems about their encounters with ghost. Today writing poems about theses occurrences seems slightly out of the ordinary but during that time period it was generally more common. Throughout the stories it is possible to tell that the close atmosphere between the students and faculty was present as many of the students lived in the Presidents house with their faculty and in their stories it was possible to tell that the students had close relationships with the faculty.

            Listening to the stories and accounts of students during the colleges early days was fascinating both because of the insight into the day-to-day events at the college but also the different perspectives and portrayals of Daisy and the other Sweet Briar ghost.

Designing a bedroom

Sara and I designed a bedroom of a 1900's house in America based off of a Sears catalog. The final cost of all of the furniture was $122.35 and with the average worker making $30 per month it would take 4 months to furnish the bedroom.

Reflection on the Slave Cabin

Reflection on the Slave Cabin:

Upon entering the cabin I was surprised at how aged both the door and the floor were. I thought that since the cabin had been renovated and used as a coffee shop and office that the floor would be more modern and the door would be more sophisticated(with a handle). I was also surprised that there was a railing on the stairs and I am curious to know if that railing was part of the original cabin or was added in later.  Additionally, I wondered whether the windows in the cabin were glass during the slave era or if they were simply open or covered by a fabric.

                The cabin seemed like it would be fairly comfortable for two people to live in however if the cabin in fact had eight to nine people living there I can only imagine how cramped the living conditions would be.  These tight living quarters must have been one of the driving factors behind the close knight slave community. The slaves would have a much closer knit family structure simply because of their physical proximity. I would have liked to have seen the original layout of the cabin what each area was designed for. I assumed that the loft was were a majority of the slaves would have slept  and during the summer it must have been very uncomfortable with the heat.  Around the fireplace would have been the cooking area but the rest of the lower level could have had multiple purposes. The cabin made me realize the extreme conditions that humans can survive in and how lucky I am to have such a high standard of living.

Asssignment 5: The SBC Slave Cabin

KatJorgensen

ProfessorRainville

AmericanEconomies in the 19th century

8October 2012

            Historical to both Sweet Briarhistory and the history of America's enslaved population, the Slave Cabin atSweet Briar College is a crucial dwelling in the understanding of  culture during America's slavery period. Thiscabin's history has spanned from 1880 to present day and the cabin has served avariety of purposes. With the wide array of inhabitants and functions, thecabin has been valued differently by different members of the community andsociety as a whole.  As the cabin entersa new era, the idea of the perception of value by the Sweet briar community andthe community must be considered in order to fully promote and understand thehistory of the cabin and those connected to this dwelling.

            Before attending Sweet Briar andlearning about the history of the campus I had no concrete knowledge about theslave cabin or the plantation itself. I simply knew the story of Daisy and thatthe campus used to be a plantation that relied upon the labor of slaves.  Before viewing the cabin I anticipated thatthe cabin would be smaller in size and not as well structured or in as good ofcondition. The fact that the cabin has a stone foundation and was completelystanding was  shocking. Additionally,from my prior research about slavery in general, I was surprised by the cabinsclose proximity to the plantation house as my understanding has been that theplantation house was typically some distance from the cabins to enforce thesuperiority complex.  Although I had donesome research about slavery and used primary sources in my investigations,before this class I had little knowledge about the history of Sweet Briar'sslave cabin and the history of the enslaved population on this campus.

            After having explored the history ofthe cabin, I believe that the future of the cabin is reliant upon a return toits past.  Although the cabin has playeda critical role in the history of the college by serving as a coffee shop,alumni office and a variety of other purposes, I believe that with the increasedawareness of the past and slavery by the college and American society ingeneral, the cabin should be restored to a state similar to that of when it wasa slave cabin. In the academic world, the cabin would be most valued in its originalstate as students could experience the conditions of slavery in a very hands-onmethod.  Additionally, American societyis currently starting to investigate and discuss its involvement with the"peculiar institution," and by restoring the cabin, students andmembers of the community would be given another resource in their endeavors. Byrestoring the cabin, the value of the cabin would rest upon recognition of theenslaved members of the community that laid the foundation for  the college and not solely upon what officeor commodity was being house within that building. Restoration enhances thesentimental value of the building and also provides students the opportunitiesto explore local history.

            As a restored slave cabin, studentsshould be encouraged, both in the academic world and social landscape, toexplore the history of the plantation and slavery.  Endorsing and running a program similar tothat of the Slave Dwelling Project where students could spend a night sleepingin the cabin and experience the culture and lifestyle associated with slaverywould encourage use of the cabin while also providing valuable experiences.

            Concerning the enslaved populationat Sweet Briar, I am most curious about where the other slave cabins werelocated and what condition they were in during the slavery era. Additionally,the size of the original slave structure seems fairly large in comparison andits proximity to the plantation house makes me wonder if slaves that lived inthat cabin were favored and had better living conditions than their companions.Additionally, investigations of the slave burial grounds would also beinteresting to both the history of the plantations but also the student body asthe burial grounds are commonly visited.  In general, I think that the college shouldattempt to investigate the layout of the plantation and the particular cultureand traditions of the slave community at Sweet Briar Plantation.

            By performing more studies that investigatethe history of the enslaved populations, pertaining to both the cabin and otheraspects of the enslaved community, the interest of the student body would be sparkedespecially if these findings were shared with the community outside of thecampus.  The campus should also offerorganized events that explore the history of the campus and plantations and in thecase of a new find the campus should offer opportunities to students to help performinvestigations. If the students and the outside community were involved in therestoration and investigations into the plantation, the cabin and other sites pertainingto the history would have added value.

            The history of the Sweet BriarPlantation is valuable to the student body and the restoration of the cabin toits original state would encourage students to experience firsthand the cultureand lifestyle of the oppressed population. Instead of simply leading tours and puttingon exhibitions, the college should lead investigative events and events thatallow students and the community to explore the culture and history firsthand.