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The Weaving Room:
in the 1800s, the weaving room was actually a large pantry. It functioned just like the pantries found in our homes today. This is where the food for the plantation was stored throughout the year. The thick brick walls of the pantry made it a great place to store food because it provided slightly cooler temperatures which would help keep the food fresher for longer periods of time.
Today, the room is used by the staff to exhibit the plantation's many spinning and weaving tools. These tools include various styles of spinning wheels, a large loom and a weasel. When people spun their own wool for weaving, they used a yard winder, or a weasel, to measure the yard into a skein. When the wheel went around enough to wind the length of the skein, the yarn winder was geared to make a "popping" sound. This let the person know that the skein was finished winding. The song "Pop Goes the Weasel" was possibly sang by children, while waiting for the "pop."
Throughout the year, the site also presents living history demonstrations to the public that focus on the act of spinning and weaving. These demonstrations are designed to give the public insight on how complicated the process of turning cotton into cloth really is. |