In 1865

In 1865, one hundred thirty six enslaved men, women, and children at Belle Meade Farm gained their freedom and with it the right to choose where they would live and work. Seventy-two farm workers continued under the employ of General Will Giles Harding, with four families remaining on the grounds and many others commuting each day from neighborhoods around Nashville. The living quarters shown in the photograph housed enslaved families and later freedmen who continued to work on the farm, and many of these families occupied the structures until the mid 20th century. In the 1970s, the last remaining building was dismantled and moved to make way for new development. In October 2001, Belle Meade Plantation acquired this one-half acre of land, preserving part of a history nearly lost to development, while continuing efforts and archeology seek to reveal more about the material culture and lives of the families who lived here in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Belle Meade, Tennessee · United States