Log Cabin living in the early 1800s
Life was difficult in the late 18th and 19th century. Death didn’t discriminate between rich and poor. Diseases ravaged populations and conditions were unsanitary for all. Thomas Jefferson died on July, 4, 1826 at the age of 83. He endured the death of his wife and many children. He was the third President of the USA. He retired to Monticello for the remainder of his days and lived in the grand house which I will return to in my blog many times. The servants, workers and cooks didn’t have it so well.
Cabin under the shade of trees.
It was closed the day I went
It was closed the day I went
The cabin above is typical of the ones that were around at the time of Jefferson. The roofs were boards lined up and filled with some type of roof pitch. The accommodations were tiny. Logs were hand hewn and filled with homemade chinking to close the gaps. Difficult in the summer, but probably toasty in the winter.
Interior fireplace where the home could be kept warm and served as a makeshift stove.
Notice the trapdoor under the cabin in the photo above. There was no guide to tell us what it was for. You can see that the accommodations were Spartan. The mantle held plates and similar items. I was there in June I seem to remember and it was hot. The cabin I toured was open. There was a couple more up on a hill under trees. At any rate it was uncomfortable and there was no AC or fan.
A smoother feel to the interior logs.
In there own way, the interior was very pleasant to look at.
In there own way, the interior was very pleasant to look at.
The interiors in addition to being Spartan did at least have a smoother finish than the exteriors. The had a few windows that didn’t raise, but rather slid in tracks.
Window sliding in a track Inside the cabin.
Front door to the cabin. Simple board and slat construction.
Typical rope bed. The phrase “ sleep tight” came from pulling the rope tight on your bed for support.
You can see the bed behind the door, and a typical rope support system from another part of the estate. Again everything was Spartan and just for function. No extra steps were shown on any aspect of the tour. There was no running water so it would have to be drawn from a central well, or from a stream. Monticello is situated on the top of a small mountain with a plateau. It is not something you would want to walk up often until your cardio was in great shape.
Common household items during the 1800s.
Above are common household items that would be used at the time. Life was tough for all during the 1800s, but I imagine it was a good bit more difficult for the dwellers of log cabins. The venerable log cabins were all over the USA during this period.
Thank you for taking a read through a chapter of the history of Monticello.