Plantation Life in the Piedmont: A Preliminary Examination ...

1 Plantation LIFE IN THE piedmont : A Preliminary Examination OF ROSEMONT Plantation , LAURENS county , south carolina CHICORA FOUNDATION RESEARCH SERIES 29 Plantation LIFE IN THE piedmont : A Preliminary Examination OF ROSEMONT Plantation , LAURENS county , south carolina RESEARCH SERIES 29 Michael Trinkley Natalie Adams Debi Hacker CHICORA FOUNDATION, INC. Box 8664 861 ARBUTUS DRIVE COLUMBIA, south carolina 29202 (803) 787-6910 March 1992 ISSN 0882-2041 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Trinkley, Michael. Plantation life in the piedmont : a Preliminary Examination of Rosemont Plantation , Laurens county , south carolina / Michael Trinkley, Natalie Adams, Debi Hacker. p. cm. --(Research series, ISSN 0882-2041 ; 29) Includes bibliographical references. 1. Rosemont Plantation ( ) 2. Plantation 1ife-- south carolina --Laurens county --History. 3. Laurens county ( )--History, Local.

2 4. Laurens county ( )--Antiquities. I. Adams, Natalie, 1963-II. Hacker, Debi III. Title. IV. Series: Research series (Chicora Foundation) ; 29. '31--dc20 92-4376 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences -Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI i CIP What distinguishes the historian from the collector of historical facts is generalization. Carr ii ABSTRACT Rosemont Plantation is situated in Laurens county , near the confluence of the Saluda and Reedy Rivers in the piedmont of south carolina . It was first established by Patrick Cunningham, his family, and slaves in the mid-eighteenth century. The Plantation continued to be owned and operated, first producing indigo and latter cotton, into the early twentieth century. While the Plantation 's historical significance is often linked with Ann Pamela Cunningham, who formed the organization in 1854 to purchase Mount Vernon for the nation, Rosemont represents a "typical" piedmont Plantation .

3 As such it assumes tremendous historical significance in its own right, representing a variation on the Plantation theme more commonly studied in the coastal area of south carolina . This study is the result of limited historical, architectural, archaeological, and garden landscape examinations at Rosemont conducted by Chicora Foundation for the Laurens county Historical Society. Although a major goal of the work was to assemble and document the information necessary to nominate Rosemont Plantation to the National Register of Historic Places, these studies offer a rare opportunity to examine an upland Plantation . They lay the foundation for more detailed invest igations which hold the promise of expanding our knowledge of eighteenth and nineteenth century Plantation life beyond the sea islands of south carolina . Just as the Examination of upland plantations is rare in Southeastern archaeology, so too is the emphasis on garden landscapes.

4 The work at Rosemont reveals that the promising field of landscape archaeology is not confined to Virginia or the low country, but extends well inland, encompassing all of south carolina . iii Abstract. List of Figures List of Tables. Acknowledgements. Introduction.. Background Scope and Goals Curation TABLE OF CONTENTS .iii .v .v vi .1 Natural Setting Physiographic Climate Floristics 5 Province Historical Overview of the Up Country 8 Previous Historical Archaeology Research Up Country Historical Synopsis History of Rosemont Plantation . Colonial History of Rosemont Development of the Antebellum Plantation and Gardens Rosemont During the Civil War and the Postbellum Rosemont During the Twentieth Century A Retrospective Examination of Rosemont History.

5 13 Investigations .. 42 Strategy and Methods Archaeological Remains Artifact Analyses .. 51 Introduction Descriptions and Interpretations Dating Synthesis Pattern Analysis Status and Lifestyle Observations Summary and Synthesis 65 Sources Cited . 69 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Vicinity of Rosemont Plantation .. 2. Kyzer and Hellans Map of Laurens county in 1883 3. Plat of Tract , Rosemont in 1894 .. 4. Reconstructed historical arrangement of Rosemont structures 5. Photograph of Rosemont house, taken about 1926. 6. Reconstructed floor plans of Rosemont 7. Rosemont Plantation .. 0 8. Artifact density 9. Shovel testing at Rosemont. 10. Test Pit 1. 11. Test Pit 2. 12. Test Pit 3. 13. Test Pit 3, view to the southwest 14. Artifacts from Rosemont LIST OF TABLES Table 1.

6 Major ceramic types at Rosemont .. 2. Mean Ceramic Dates .. 3. Intact nails from Structures 1 and 2 4. Nail functions from Structures 1 and 2 5. Embossed or marked artifacts from Rosemont 6. Comparison of various artifact patterns. 7. Artifact patterns from Rosemont 8. Decorative motifs on earthenwares .. v ..2 24 27 33 38 39 43 44 44 46 47 49 49 56 53 54 58 58 60 62 63 63 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was funded by the Laurens county Historical Society through donations from private individuals and corporations, as well as from the National Trust of Historic Preservation and the Mount Vernon Ladies Association of the Union. This project demonstrates the unique spirit and goals of heritage preservation, representing a number of diverse individuals and organizations banding together to help preserve a significant aspect of Laurens county history. Chicora Foundation appreciates the opportunity to play a small part in the preservation efforts and the support we have received from the Laurens community.

7 The work has been spear-headed by Mrs. Charles Allen of the Laurens county Historical Society. Her untiring enthusiasm and dedication to the history and heritage of Laurens county is an asset that cannot be measured. She has graciously shared that enthusiasm with us and made our stay in Laurens both hospitable and pleasant. Many other members of the Society are also to be thanked, including Mr. Phil Adair (president of the Society), Mr. Jerry Stoddard, Dr. John Womack, Mr. Jay Womack and other members of his Boy Scout troop. Mrs. Carl Ettinger of Clinton visited with us during our work and expressed a deep interest in the site and its archaeology. We appreciate her interest and support of our work. Mrs. Mary Pruitt of Columbia, south carolina shared her memories of visiting the Rosemont Plantation house about 1928. This information has been of tremendous assistance. We also wish to thank the Project Manager of the Rosemont research, Ms.

8 Christy Snipes, , with Historic Landscape and Garden Design of Columbia, south carolina . Her patience and assistance was invaluable during the field investigations of Rosemont. In addition, she is responsible for obtaining the vast amount of historical documentation on Rosemont from family collections in Texas, the Alabama Department of Archives and History, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union Archives, the Special Collections Department of Perkins Library at Duke University, and the Southern Historical Collection. Without her dedication and interest our understanding of Rosemont would be far less complete. The owner of Rosemont Plantation today, Col. Niles Clark, granted permission for these investigations and visited with us during the work. His support and interest in the preservation of Rosemont is appreciated; as are his untiring efforts to protect the site from vandals and looters who would convert the heritage of Rosemont to their own possession.

9 We also want to thank Mr. Keith Derting and Ms. Sharon Peckrul of the south carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology for their assistance in curating the collections from the Rosemont excavations. In addition, we appreciate the assistance of the staff of the south carolina Department of Archives and History in the preparation of the National Register nomination of the site. Finally, we want to thank Liz Pinckney and Mona Grunden who also worked on the Rosemont excavations with us. vi INTRODUCTION Background The Rosemont Plantation was first examined, archaeologically I by Dr. Patricia Cridlebaugh with the south carolina Department of Archives and History in the summer of 1989. Based on this initial survey of the Plantation , Dr. Cridlebaugh noted that "I believe the site will prove to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places based on its potential to yield significant scientific data relative to an upcountry eighteenth century Plantation " (letter from Dr.)

10 Patricia Cridlebaugh to Mrs. Charles Allen, dated June 16, 1989). Chicora Foundation prepared a proposal for Preliminary archaeological research at the site in October 1990 in response to a request for a proposal from Ms. Christy Snipes, Rosemont Project Manager. An agreement between Chicora and the Laurens county Historical Society to perform the initial archaeological reconnaissance, testing, and mapping of the site was signed on June 15, 1991. The bulk of the historical research had previously been conducted by Ms. Snipes, although Chicora Foundation conducted additional research at the Department of Archives and History and the south carolina Historical Society during November 1991. The Rosemont field work was conducted by Chicora Foundation from December 2 through December 6, 1991 with a crew of four. Dr. Michael Trinkley was the Principal Investigator for the project.