Running a successful sugar plantation required immense energy. Before the 1800s, sugar mills were largely operated by animal power, with horses or oxen turning gears that moved the large rollers used to crush cane. By 1831, steam-powered mills were available, providing greater power and allowing cane to be processed faster. This building housed the engine that produced steam to power the sugar mill, and a pipe carried steam to the second floor of the sugar house, where the large three-roller cane press was located. When the sugar mill was not operating, steam from the boiler house powered the plantation saw mill. Even with the mechanical energy provided by a strong steam engine, sugar production and plantation operations depended on a large quantity of human energy, and the 1830 census shows 193 slaves were present on the plantation.