Existing comment:
How Do We Know?:
There are no maps, photographs, or detailed descriptions of the farmhouse complex to show how it looked during Jackson's residence or during the time it was an active slave quarters. The earliest description is from 1859 when Jackson biographer James Parton saw the complex on a visit to The Hermitage and described it as "negro cabins, 1 an old store house 'with nothing but plunder in it.'" Archeological excavations have revealed outdoor features as well as the remains of several other buildings. As part of the extensive research leading up to the restoration, scientists carried out dendrodating on both buildings. Samples of tree rings from the logs show when the logs were cut to construct the buildings. During the restoration, both buildings were completely dismantled and revealed details, such as construction techniques, craftsmens' initials, and trim reused for other purposes.
Traditional accounts describe the log Jackson farmhouse as a two-story building. The joists supporting the floor of the present one-story building were finished with decorative beading, a treatment that would never have been used on hidden floor joints. These jointed supported the second floor of a two-story building and were decoratively finished because they were exposed on the ceiling of the original first floor.
Analysis of microscopic samples found during the restoration project detail the paint, whitewash, and other finished used in the buildings.
By analyzing how true ring patterns were affected by periods of drought or heavy rains and comparing them to samples of a known age, the date logs were cut can be determined. This dendrodating process confirms that the farmhouse was built before Jackson bought the Hermitage property. |