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Sweet Briar's Ante-Bellum Past

Brief Historical Background to the Sweet Briar Plantation:

Native Americans were the first to settle in Amherst County and they, very likely, placed some of their settlements along the rivers and ridges that currently lie within the Sweet Briar Campus. European-Americans arrived in Amherst in the first quarter of the 18th Century. These early settlers grew tobacco and wheat, built water and saw mills, and, later in the 19th Century, planted orchards. Between circa 1740 and 1830 over a dozen families owned land along the then Lynches Road (present-day route 29) and the old Stagecoach Road (present-day route 663). Today the land bordered by these two 18th Century roadways is owned by Sweet Briar College, providing students with an outdoor laboratory for historic and archaeological research into an historic community.

The Fletcher Era

In 1810 Elijah Fletcher left his home in Ludlow, Vermont and travelled to Virginia to teach school. Over the next two decades Fletcher became a prosperous businessman, newspaper publisher, and mayor of Lynchburg. In 1830, he purchased several thousand acres south of Amherst which his wife soon named "Sweet Briar Plantation." An early 19th Century watercolor (right) illustrates the original form of the plantation house, previously called Locust Ridge. When Fletcher died in 1858 his daughter, Indiana, inherited the plantation house and the land. The 3,325 acres currently owned by Sweet Briar College was donated by Indiana in 1901 to found a college for women.

The Enslaved Community

The success of Elijah Fletcher's farm relied on the labor of enslaved individuals, both African American and Native American (from the nearby Monacan Confederacy). Although initially opposed to the "peculiar institution," Elijah owned over 110 slaves upon his death in 1858. Shown at right is a rare, undated (but almost certainly post-bellum) photograph of one of the former slaves, Martha Penn Taylor. In 1865, the slaves were freed, but some families settled nearby and continued to work for the Fletchers as paid laborers. Martha, for example, moved to Coolwell and became a nursemaid for Daisy. Historic and archaeological research is on-going to locate more information about the families who lived in this community and their descendants. This is an interdisciplinary approach that includes multiple departments, faculty, staff, and local residents.

Primary historic sources that provide information on the enslaved community innclude the U.S. Census and Elijah's own Last Will and Testament (written six years before he died, in 1852).

Slave Cemeteries at Sweet Briar

Many of the Sweet Briar slaves were buried on the plantation. To date, several burial locations have been located on the lands owned by Fletcher. One of the largest cemeteries is the "Sweet Briar Burial Ground," recently re-dedicated by the College in honor of the people who labored and died on the plantation. This cemetery contains several dozen graves and is located about half-a-mile from the "big house." Please see the on-line map for directions if you are interested in visiting the site. In addition, a virtual tour of the slave cemetery is available on-line.

Sweet Briar's Ante-Bellum Landscape

Ongoing Archaeological Survey

In the winter 2002, Dr. Rainville (Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology) began a pedestrian survey of the former plantation (today comprising 3,250 acres). The land, currently owned by Sweet Briar College, was divided into arbitrary sectors to aid in designing a feasible survey. Sweet Briar Students are participating in this research by walking across the landscape, searching for ante-bellum sites. To date, over 350 sites have been located using this technique. The sites date from the 18th through the late 20th Century and range from agricultural features, fences, historic barns and stables, mills, cemeteries, artifact scatters, and old house sites. Join us on survey by taking a Virtual Tour of Sweet Briar's ante-bellum landscape.

Ongoing Archaeological Excavations

Residential and agricultural sites are being excavated to learn more about the enslaved community and 18th and 19th Century agricultural practices. Please note, none of the cemeteries or graves will be disturbed in this work. Every fall, Professor Rainville teaches a class on Archaeological Field Methods which enables Sweet Briar students to excavate sites located on-campus. To see a copy of a recent course syllabus, please click here: ANTH 115 Syllabus. Below students excavate several test units located near the Lower Lake. The recovered artifacts included 19th Century ceramic sherds, historic nails, glass shards, and brick debris.