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Early History and Excavation of the Leconte-Woodmanston Plantation

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Early History and Excavation of the Leconte-Woodmanston Plantation EARLY HISTORY AND EXCAVATION OF THE LEC0NTE-W00Dr4ANST0N PLANTATION BY JENNIFER M. f-IAiMILTON A THESIS PRESENTEE TO THE GR.\DUATE COUNCIL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLI4ENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF y.ASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 1930 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to acknowledge the years of guidance from Dr. Charles H. Fairbanks, both in class and out, which led to the completion of this master's thesis. Special thanks are accorded to Dr. Rochelle Marrinan, director of the Georgia Southern College 1979 field school, who has been a constant support and companion throughout all phases of the project: research, excavation and writing. The author would also like to express her continuing appreciation to Colonel and Mrs. Claude A. Black; and Miss Clermont Lee of Savannah for their persistent faith in the LeConte-Woodmanston project. Without their interest and inspiration there would be no project and the public would lose a large part of its cultural heritage. Many thanks are also given to Mrs. Caroline McMillan of St. Simon's Island, Georgia, for patiently answering the max^^y questions and generously providing access to the family documents which made the LeContes cot.« alive for all concerned. The author would also like to express her appreciation to the members of the spring 1979 Georgia Southern College archeolgical field school: Julie Barnes, David Flesch, Barry Hart, Betty Leigh Hutcheson, Charles McPherson, Nancy Turner, Claudia Tyre, and Cecil Walters, for their untiring labor despite cramped living conditions and numerous mosquitoes. ii The members of the LeConte-Woodmanston Trustees and the Garden Clubs of Georgia have been supportive throuqhout the entire project. The author would especially like to acknowledge the help of Colonel George Rogers of Hinesville, Georgia, and Mrs. George W. Ray of Savannah. Because of the disturbed condition of the Woodmanston site, documentary research concerning the LeConte family comprised a large part of this study. The author would like to acknowledae the staffs of the Georgia Historical Society Library; the American Philosophical Society Library; the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences; the Pennsylvania Historical Society Library; and the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History. The aid of Mrs. Nancy Aspinwall, Liberty County Probate Judge; the staffs of the Office of the Inferior Court of Liberty and Chatham Counties; and Mr. George Ference and Mr. Bagario of Brunswick Pulp and Paper Company, Brunswick, Georgia, are also acknowledaed. Special thanks to Dr. George Roaers , Georgia Southern College, for the use of his personal files on the LeConte family. The Community of Riceboro was very kind to the entire crew during our stay in 19 79. Much aratitude is awarded to Mrs. Cordelia Jones Browning for her interest and concern and to Mrs. Hern for rentina our house in Riceboro, without which the project would have never been the same. Analysis of the LeConte-Woodmanston collection was performed at the University of Florida. The author would like . to thank Dr. Elizabeth Wing for providing access to the Florida State Museum Faunal Collections and to Dr. Rochelle Marrinan for oerformina the analysis. The author would also like to mention the daily support and companionship of Sue Mullins with whom she shared the archeoloay lab and the person who finally identified the Clews brothers' "States" plate The author's familv deserves very special thanks for their patience and support during her entire graduate career. Separate acknowledaments go to David Hamilton for help in the editing process and to Eleanor Hamilton for typing the numerous drafts. Finally the author would like to thank the members of her committee for their support: Dr. Charles H. Fairbanks, Chairman: Dr. Jerald Milanich: Dr. Prudence Rice and Dr. Elizabeth Wing for being present at the defense in Dr. Rice's absence. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF FIGURES vii ABSTRACT ix CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 8 Significant World Events 8 Family History 10 Scientific Achievements 15 Woodmanston Plantation 21 LeConte Gardens 2 6 Rice Culture 33 Slaves 4 6 III. ARCHEOLOGY 51 Research Methodoloay 51 Transects and Auger Testing 5 5 Formal Excavation 5 8 Trenching 60 IV. ARCHITECTURAL ELEI>1ENTS 6 2 The Chimney Base 6 2 The Robbed Brick Wall 66 V. YiATERIAL CULTURE 6 8 Building Hardware 6 8 Household Furnishings 70 Glass 73 Window Glass 7 3 Beverage Bottles 74 Medicine Settles 76 Domestic Glassware 5 2 V Ceramics 8 3 Cutlery 92 Personal Items 92 Buttons 9 5 Jewelry 96 Firearms 98 Tobacco and Smokinq Equipment 100 Toys and Games ' 103 Miscellaneous Personal Items' 104 Horses and Carriages 105 Tools 105 Grindstones 106 Faunal Material 107 Aboriginal Material 110 VI. SURMARY AND CONCLUSION Ill APPENDICES A. ADDITIONAL SOURCES CONSULTED 155 B. LIST OF BULBS 157 C. HORTICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS 161 D. SPECIES LIST . 163 E. COMPOSITE TABLE FOR ALL FAUNA 164 REFERENCES CITED 167 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 17 5 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Location of LeConte-Woodmanston site 116 2. Woodmanston vicinity 118 3. Areal photograph of the Woodmanston area .... 120 4. 197 3 survey of Woodmanston Plantation 122 5. LeConte kinship diagram 124 6. 1897 photograph of LeConte-Woodmanston site . 12 6 7. 1897 photograph of Joseph LeConte at Woodmanston 128 8. Interpretive concept plan for LeConte-Woodmanston 130 9. Diagram of spring 1979 testing program 132 10. Transect lines delineated on areal photograph . 134 11. Distribution of positive auger tests 136 12. Excavation plan for 1979 spring field session . 138 13. Double hearth chimney base 140 14. Robbed brick wall 142 15a. Household artifacts 144 15b. Gunparts and horse equipment 144 16a. Glass artifacts 146 16b. Cutlery 14 6 17a. Ceramics 148 17b. Ceramics 148 vii List of Figures (continued) Fiaures Page 18a. Personal artifacts 150 18b. Personal artifacts 150 19a. Quartz crystal 152 19b. Grindstone fragment 152 20. Aboriginal artifacts 154 viii . Abstract of Thesis Presented to the Graduate Council of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillraent of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts EARLY HISTORY AND EXCAVATION OF THE LECONTE-WOODMANSTON PLANTATION Bv Jennifer M. Hamilton June, 1980 Chairman: Charles H. Fairbanks Major Department: Anthropology The following paper presents the analysis of the LeConte-Woodmanston site. The Garden Clubs of Georgia, Inc., plans to develop an exhibit around this late eiahteenth-early nineteenth centurv rice plantation and botanical garden, emphasizing interpretation of the plantation era components, the natural setting, and use as a habitat for endanaered plant species. Louis LeConte's botanical garden (1812-18 38) was internationally known among the scientific communitv for its early cultivation of Camellia iaponica outside the hothouse. Historical documentation provided insight regarding the LeConte family in Liberty County during the plantation era and a picture of plantation life in early Georgia. Unfortunately the location and layout of the LeConte house and gardens are not available in the documents utilized to date ix The site has been badly disturbed by lumbering activities over the past 25 years, but there is still potential for retrieving valuable archeological data. The basic research strategy included the use of linear transects to control a program of mechancial auger tests. This procedure provided a satisfactory means of delineating the extent of extreme subsurface disturbance and artifact distribution with a minimum amount of clearing. Results of the auger tests were checked with formal excavation and trenching. The spring 1979 archeological excavations and historical documentation both indicate the site was occupied from the early nineteenth century until the first part of the twentieth century. Two structures which were once part of the plantation house complex were investigated, but further archeological study is necessary to determine the dimensions and specifications. / Chairman X CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION The following documentary research and archeological investigation have been done in an effort to aid the Garden Clubs of Georgia in the reconstruction and historical presentation of the LeConte Gardens and Plantation. Specific questions guided the 1979-1980 investigations of the Woodmanston site. Garden Club interests emphasized the location of the LeConte botanical garden, the main plantation house, subsidiary structures, and the slave settlement. Although historical documents were a great source of information about the site, Liberty County and the character of the LeConte family, they did not provide specific locations for the structures. Archeological investigation of three major areas was carried out to try and locate these structures. Woodmanston Plantation v/as located "in and around Bulltown Swamp" on the border between Mcintosh and Liberty Counties, Georgia, about 40 miles southwest of Savannah (Figures 1,2,3). Built in the late 1760s, it was one of the first gravity flow rice plantations to be established on the Georgia coast, and was owned by John Eatton LeConte, 1 . 2 whose family played an important part in the early history of the United States. Two outstanding members of the family, Louis LeConte and Major John Eatton LeConte, have been celebrated for their contributions to the natural sciences. Louis LeConte, son of John Eatton LeConte, became internationally famous for the botanical garden which he started at Woodmanston Plantation in 1812 and which flourished until his death in 1838, His brother, Major John Eatton LeConte, was a winter resident at Woodmanston and frequently brought Louis interesting botanical specimens from the nurseries of Philadelphia and New York. Some of the plants for which Louis became best known were bulbous varieties and camellias. In Europe, such plants were grown only in protective greenhouses, but at Woodmanston they were grown out of doors, and some of the camellias eventually attained tree-like proportions Over the years Louis LeConte served as a gracious host and guide to many foreign naturalists and horticulturists.
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