These are the quarters where the enxlaved men and women lived at the Kingsley Plantation just south of Jacksonville, FL. They are remarkable for having survived so well. There were about 30 in a very large semi-circle 1/2 mile from the main house. Each of them is about 9 by 15 feet, all with a two doors and a single window with no glass. Some have two rooms others one and a small fireplace. The setting appears idyllic but of course it was not. The swamps are just behind the quarters and the work was hard, long and often brutal. Heat and mosquitos were constant companions; the lack of freedom, crushing. Yet people survived and some rose well beyond these terrible circumstances. One young woman, 13 years old, was bought by the plantation owner and he married her, Anna. She ran this plantation and ran it very well. One of her descendants is the women who is married to James (portrait project number 7). You can read about her https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnnetta_Cole. Don’t let where you came from, your history, or your challenges determine your future.
