CHAPTER III—ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, 1783–1800

A Great Plantation (1774)

BY PHILIP FITHIAN

FRIDAY, March 18 [1774]. I have all along intended, and shall now attempt to give a short description of Nomini-Hall, and the several Buildings, and improvements adjoining it; as well for my own amusement, as also to be able with certainty to inform others of a Seat as magnificent in itself and with as many surrounding Conveniences, as any I have ever seen, and perhaps equal to any in this Colony.

Mr. Carter now possesses 60000 Acres of Land; and about 600 Negroes. But his Estate is much divided, and lies in almost every county in this Colony; He has Lands in the Neighbourhood of Williamsburg, and an elegant and Spacious House in that City. He owns a great part of the well known Iron-Works near Baltimore in Maryland. And he has one or more considerable Farms not far from Anapolis.

He has some large tracts of Land far to the West, at a place call’d "Bull Run," and the "Great Meadows" among the mountains. He owns Lands near Dumfries on the Potowmack; and large tracts in this and the neighbouring Counties. Out of these Lands, which are situated so remote from each other in various parts of these two large Provinces, Virginia and Maryland, Mr. Carter has chosen for the place of his habitation a high spot of Ground in Westmoreland County at the Head of the Navigation of the River Nomini, where he has erected a large Elegant House, at a vast expence, which commonly goes by the name of Nomini-Hall. This House is built with Brick, but the bricks have been covered with strong lime Mortar; so that the building is now perfectly white; it is seventy-six Feet long from East to West; and forty-four wide from North to South, two Stories high; the Pitch of the lower story seventeen Feet, and the upper Story twelve. It has five Stacks of Chimneys, tho’ two of these serve only for ornaments.

There is a beautiful Jutt, on the South side, eighteen feet long, and eight Feet deep from the wall which is supported by three tall pillars. On the South side, or front, in the upper story are four Windows each having twenty-four Lights of Glass. In the lower story are two Windows each having forty-two Lights of Glass, and two Doors each having Sixteen Lights. At the East end the upper story has three Windows each with eighteen Lights; and below two Windows both with eighteen Lights and a Door with nine.

The North side I think is most beautiful of all; In the upper Story is a Row of seven Windows with eighteen Lights a piece; and below six windows, with the like number of lights; besides a large Portico in the middle, at the sides of which are two Windows each with eighteen Lights. At the West end are no Windows. The Number of Lights in all is five hundred, and forty-nine. There are four Rooms on a Floor, disposed of in the following manner. Below is a dining Room where we usually sit; the second is a dining-Room for the Children; the third is Mr. Carters study; and the fourth is a Ball-Room thirty Feet long. Above stairs, one Room is for Mr. and Mrs. Carter; the second for the young Ladies; and the other two for occasional Company. As this House is large, and stands on a high piece of Land it may be seen a considerable distance; I have seen it at the Distance of six Miles.

At equal Distances from each corner of this Building stand four other considerable Houses, which I shall next a little describe. First, at the North East corner, and at 100 yards Distance stands the School House;

At the North-West Corner, and at the same Distance stands the stable; At the South-West Corner, and at the same Distance, stands the Coach-House; And lastly, at the South-East, and at an equal distance stands the Wash-House. These four Houses are the corners of a Square of which the Great-House is the Center. First the School-House is forty five feet long, from East to West, and twenty-seven from North to South; It has five well-finished, convenient Rooms, three below stairs, and two above; It is built with Brick a Story and a half high with Dormant Windows; In each Room is a fire; In the large Room below-Stairs we keep our School; the other two Rooms below which are smaller are allowed to Mr. Randolph the Clerk; The Room above the School-Room Ben and I live in; and the other Room above Stairs belongs to Harry and Bob. Five of us live in this House with great Neatness, and convenience; each one has a Bed to himself.

And we are call’d by the Bell to the Great-House to Breakfast &c. The Wash-House is built in the same form, and is of the same Size of the School-House. From the front yard of the Great House, to the Wash-House is a curious Terrace, covered finely with Green turf, and about five foot high with a slope of eight feet, which appears exceeding well to persons coming to the front of the House. This Terrace is produced along the Front of the House, and ends by the Kitchen; but before the Front-Doors is a broad flight of steps of the same Height, and slope of the Terrace.

The Stable and coach-House are of the same Length and Breadth as the School- and Wash-House, only they are higher pitched to be convenient for holding Hay and Fodder.

Due East of the Great House are two Rows of tall, flourishing, beautiful Poplars, beginning on a Line drawn from the School to the Wash-House; these Rows are something wider than the House, and are about 300 yards Long, at the Eastermost end of which is the great Road leading through Westmorland to Richmond. These Rows of Poplars form an extremely pleasant avenue, and at the Road, through them, the House appears most romantic, at the same time that it does truly elegant. The Area of the Triangle made by the Wash-House, Stable mad School-House is perfectly levil, and designed for a bowling-Green, laid out in rectangular Walks which are paved with Brick, and covered over with burnt Oyster-Shells. In the other Triangle, made by the Wash-House, Stable, and Coach-House is the Kitchen, a well-built House, as large as the School-House; Bake-House; Dairy; Store-House and several other small houses; all which stand due West, and at a small distance from the great House, and form a little handsome Street. These Buildings stand about a quarter of a Mile from a Fork of the River Nomini, one Branch of which runs on the East of us, on which are two Mills; one of them belongs to Mr. Turburville the other to Mr. Washington, both within a mile. another branch of the River runs on the West of us, on which and at a small distance above the House stands Mr. Carter’s Merchant Mill . . . to go to the mill from the House we descend I imagine above an 100 Feet; the Dam is so broad that two carriages may pass conveniently on it; and the Pond from twelve to Eighteen Foot water. at the fork Mr. Carter has a Granary, where he lands his Wheat for the mill, Iron from the Works etc....

Tuesday, March 24. At Breakfast Mr. Carter entertained us with an account of what he himself saw the other Day, which is a strong Representation of the cruelty and distress which many among the Negroes suffer in Virginia!

Mr. Carter dined at Squire Lees some few Weeks ago; at the same place, that day, dined also Mr. George Turburville and his Wife. As Mr. Carter rode up he observed Mr. Turburville’s Coach-Man sitting on the Chariot-Box, the Horses off. After he had made his compliments in the House, He had occasion soon after to go to the Door, when he saw the Coachman still sitting, and on examination found that he was there fast chained! The Fellow is inclined to run away, and this is the method which This Tyrant makes use of to keep him when abroad; and So soon as he goes home he is delivered into the pityless Hands of a bloody Overseer! In the Language of a Heathen I query whether cunning old Charon will not refuse to transport this imperious, haughty Virginian Lord When he shall happen to die over the Styx to the Elysian Gardens; lest his Lordship in the passage should take affront at the treatment, and attempt to chain him also to the Stygean Galley for Life!

Or, In the language of a Christian, I query whether he may be admitted into the peaceful Kingdom of Heaven where meekness, Holiness, and Brotherly-Love, are distinguishing Characteristicks?

Monday, April 4. After Supper I had a long conversation with Mrs. Carter concerning Negroes in Virginia, and find that She esteems their value at no higher rate than I do. We both concluded, (I am pretty certain that the conclusion is just) that if in Mr. Carters, or in any Gen-tlemans Estate, all the Negroes should be sold, and the money put to Interest in safe hands, and let the Lands which these Negroes now work lie wholly uncultivated, the bare Interest of the Price of the Negroes would be a much greater yearly income than what is now received from their working the Lands, making no allowance at all for the trouble and Risk of the Masters as to the Crops, and Negroes. How much greater then must be the value of an Estate here if these poor enslaved Africans were all in their native desired Country, and in their Room industrious Tenants, who being born in freedom, by a laudable care, would not only inrich their Landlords, but would raise a hardy Offspring to be the Strength and the honour of the Colony.

(New York, etc., 1900), V, 303–307 passim.