Slave Quarters Uncovered in Jefferson’s Plantation

Archeologists are working to unearth and restore a room in Thomas Jefferson’s plantation home that is thought to have been the living quarters of Sally Hemings. Hemings, one of Jefferson’s slaves, is widely believed to have also been Jefferson’s concubine and the mother of six of his children. Historians analyzing text describing Hemings’s room realized it was hidden under a modern restroom facility used by tourists. The excavation site, which happened to be directly next to Jefferson’s own room, contains a brick hearth and fireplace, a structure for a stove, and even the original flooring. Jefferson’s relationship with Hemings was heavily criticized by his political opponents, but he never provided a public or private response to the alleged relationship.

See Cecile Borkhataria, Slave Quarters of Sally Hemings, the Maid Who Gave Birth to Six of Thomas Jefferson’s Children, Are Uncovered and Excavated at His Monticello Mansion After a Tourist Bathroom Was Built over It, Daily Mail.com, July 4, 2017.