Two hundred years ago, when Josiah Henson was enslaved on the Riley plantation, the Riley House stood on a hill above Old Georgetown Road as the focal point of the property. Outbuildings were scattered around the plantation to house enslaved people, shelter livestock, and store goods, while fields stretched to the west and north. Small buildings served as quarters for the men, women, and children enslaved there, as many as 22. Another building housed the Rileys' white overseer, and Josiah Henson may have lived there with his family after he was named overseer. A meathouse, or smokehouse, stored preserved meat for future use. Isaac Riley also kept horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens in addition to raising field crops. The Riley family's timber frame house was described by Henson as a well-furnished great house, and in the log kitchen the enslaved cook prepared meals for the family. The plantation later changed in size from 262 acres in 1863 to 3.35 acres today.
