Tuckahoe (plantation) facts for kids
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Historic Tuckahoe Plantation
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Tuckahoe's northern wing
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 Location in Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Location | SE of Manakin near jct. of Rtes. 650 and 647, near Manakin, Virginia |
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| Area | 568 acres (230 ha) |
| Built | 1712 |
| Architect | William Randolph |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 68000049 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 22, 1968 |
| Designated NHLD | August 11, 1969 |
Tuckahoe, also known as Tuckahoe Plantation, is a historic home in Tuckahoe, Virginia. It is located near Manakin Sabot, Virginia, across both Goochland and Henrico counties.
This plantation house was built in the early 1700s. It is a great example of a colonial prodigy house, which means it was a very grand and impressive home for its time. A famous American, Thomas Jefferson, spent some of his childhood years living here. Because of its importance, Tuckahoe was named a National Historic Landmark in 1969.
Contents
History of Tuckahoe Plantation
Thomas Randolph first settled at Tuckahoe around 1714. He helped build the local Dover Parish church in the 1720s. Randolph brought enslaved people with him to Tuckahoe. These people had been inherited from his father, William Randolph. They were forced to work on the plantation.
The Randolph and Jefferson Families
Thomas Randolph's son, William Randolph III, built the main mansion. He and his wife, Maria Judith Page, had three children. Their son, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr., was born in 1741. Sadly, both William and Maria died by 1745.
Before he died, William Randolph III asked his friend Peter Jefferson to care for his orphaned children. Peter Jefferson and his wife, Jane Randolph Jefferson, moved from their home in Charlottesville to Tuckahoe. They brought their three daughters and their two-year-old son, Thomas Jefferson. The Jefferson and Randolph children lived together in the H-shaped house until 1752. Peter Jefferson managed the plantation and its workers.
Thomas Jefferson lived at Tuckahoe for seven years as a child. He later wrote about how the system of slavery affected both the enslavers and the enslaved people. He believed it taught children to imitate harsh behaviors.
Later Owners and Changes
William Randolph III's son, Thomas Mann Randolph Sr., had many children. After his first wife died, he remarried. His new wife, Gabriella Harvie, made some changes to the house. She painted the wooden walls in a room called the "White Parlor."
Thomas Mann Randolph Jr. (born 1768) was a prominent statesman. He became governor of Virginia from 1819 to 1822. His son, Thomas Mann Randolph Jr./III, inherited Tuckahoe but had to sell it in 1830 due to debts.
The house was owned by several families in the mid-1800s. It returned to the Randolph family in 1898. In the 20th century, Tuckahoe was part of an important legal case. The owners challenged Virginia's plan to build a road through the property.
Today, the house is still occupied by the owner/manager, Addison B. Thompson, and his wife Susan.
The Main House and Its Design
William Randolph III started building the current house in the mid-1730s. Experts have studied the wood used in the older (north) part of the house. They found that the timbers date back to about 1733. This part of the house has beautiful pine and black walnut wood panels with detailed carvings.
William Randolph then added a central hallway and a south wing. This created the house's unique "H" shape, which was finished by 1740. Tuckahoe is known as one of the "great plantations" of Virginia from the 1700s.
The two-story wooden house is still in its original location. It is the only Randolph family home that has not been moved. The "H" shape means the two wings are mirror images of each other. They are connected by a long hallway in the middle.
You reach the entrances by climbing stairs to two porches. The front porch has a sloped roof supported by simple wooden posts. It has a wooden railing. On each side of the entrance, there are two windows. There is also a window above the entrance. All windows have dark shutters and nine glass panes. The roof has a simple decorative edge with small block-like shapes called dentils. A large brick chimney rises from each side of the house.
The Grounds and Other Buildings
Outbuildings
Tuckahoe Plantation had many other buildings, called outbuildings. These were located on "Plantation Street" west of the main mansion. They were arranged in a square shape.
These buildings included a storehouse, a smokehouse, and a brick kitchen. The kitchen had a special swinging crane for cooking and a Dutch oven. There were also slave quarters, an office, a toolhouse, and a barn. In the past, there was also an ice house and a weaving room.
Around 100 enslaved people worked at Tuckahoe in the late 1740s. They were domestic workers, field hands, and skilled craftsmen. In 1779, a special stable was built for a horse named Shakespeare. An enslaved boy would sleep there to make sure the horse was healthy and comfortable.
The grounds also have cemeteries for the Randolph, Wight, and current Ball/Thompson families.
Slave Quarters
The slave quarters at Tuckahoe were larger than many others. They were about 16 by 20 feet. However, each building was divided into two units by a central chimney. Each room had its own outside door. Two of the later slave quarters also had lofts upstairs.
Life on the Plantation
Economy
At its largest, Tuckahoe Plantation covered 25,000 acres. It had three mills. The plantation grew wheat and tobacco and raised livestock. Tobacco was the main crop. It was packed into barrels and sent to London.
Household and Farm Work
Work on the plantation, both in the house and on the farm, was done by indentured servants and enslaved people. Indentured servants usually came from England and worked without pay for a set time. Enslaved people were forced to work for their entire lives. Children born to an enslaved mother were also enslaved from birth.
In 1859, there were 62 enslaved people at Tuckahoe. Some worked in the house as cooks or domestic workers. One person was a metalsmith. Most worked in the fields. Records show that children began working in the fields by age 11. The labor of enslaved people allowed the plantation owners and their families to live wealthy lives.
Clothing
Tuckahoe had a weaving room. This means that workers on the plantation might have made their own fabric for clothing. They might have grown flax and spun threads to weave the fabric. Enslaved people who were skilled at sewing would make the clothes. Sometimes, plantation owners like Thomas Jefferson would provide fabric for people to sew their own clothing.
Residents
Harriet was one of the last known African Americans born at Tuckahoe. In 1915, she shared her memories of growing up on the plantation. Her husband, Wesley, worked as a ditch digger.
Levi Ellis was known as a freed man from Tuckahoe. He bought 49 acres in Goochland County, Virginia. He farmed this land with his wife, Martha Jane Ellis. He helped found a community later called Ellisville. He also helped start the St. James Baptist Church, where he was a deacon and Sunday School superintendent. This was one of the first Black churches in the county and it also ran a school.
Interaction with Other People
Enslaved people sometimes traveled between plantations owned by the Jefferson, Randolph, and Lewis families. These families were related. Some enslavers traveled with one or two enslaved people. People with special skills, like carpentry, might work at other estates. There were times when enslaved people at Tuckahoe communicated with those at Jefferson family plantations. This happened when the Jeffersons moved to Tuckahoe and then back to Shadwell. In 1790, the Jeffersons visited Tuckahoe with members of the Hemings family.
Song
Enslaved people at Monticello had a song that mentioned Tuckahoe. According to Martha Jefferson Randolph, the song was about Thomas Mann Randolph Sr.:
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- While old Colonel Tom lived and prospered,
- There was nothing but joy at Tuckahoe.
- Now that old Colonel Tom is dead and gone,
- No more joy for us at Tuckahoe.
Worship
Churches were built and run by white people. Free Black people and enslaved people might have been able to worship in these churches, often in separate areas. Later, Black people established their own churches. The Dover Church, closest to Tuckahoe, was built between 1720 and 1724. The Dover Mines Baptist Church was later established for Black people from an old mining building. It is now the First Baptist Church in Manakin, Virginia.
Sale of Enslaved People
Parts of the Randolph's Tuckahoe plantation were divided and sold. When land was sold, enslaved people were often sold too.
The nearby city of Richmond was a major center for selling enslaved people in Virginia. When enslaved people were sold, families and communities were often broken apart. It was common for people to be separated from their spouses and children, sometimes forever. People were taken from the plantation and held in jails or special pens by slave traders. They might be held there for weeks and could be physically examined. When they were auctioned, they might be sold to another trader or sent to work on plantations in the Deep South.
Runaways
A carpenter named Gabriel, or Gabe, ran away from Tuckahoe on December 10, 1783. Thomas Mann Randolph Sr. offered a reward for his return. Bob Christian ran away on January 5, 1836. He had family in nearby counties. Tuckahoe's owner, E.L. Wight, offered a reward for his return. In 1851, Wallace Smith ran away from Tuckahoe. A large reward of $200 was offered for his return.
Freedom
Slavery continued in the United States until the 13th Amendment abolished it in 1865. Even after slavery ended, laws and practices limited the rights and opportunities of African Americans.
Some people who were freed after the American Civil War continued to live at Tuckahoe into the early 1900s. They were paid for their work and lived in the original slave quarters.
Others, like Levi Ellis, settled in communities of Black people. Once free, Black people in Virginia competed directly with white people for jobs. Many freedmen worked for different customers instead of being tied to one employer.
Legacy
In February 2019, three women painted a message on a sign and pillar at Tuckahoe. The message said, "we profit off slavery." The group said it was a reminder of "Virginia's troubled history." This happened during a time when protestors were speaking out at the Virginia State Capitol.
Images for kids
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Tuckahoe's northern wing
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Tuckahoe's unique H-shape
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The former manager’s office in the foreground and slave quarters at Tuckahoe, photographed by Frances Benjamin Johnston
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Tuckahoe slave quarters, circa 1914
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Enslaved workers at a tobacco plantation in Virginia, 1670
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Mahala Boyd, an enslaved woman who worked in the Tuckahoe residence
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Eyre Crowe, Slaves Waiting for Sale - Richmond, Virginia
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Lefevre James Cranstone, Slave Auction, Virginia
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Ad for runaway Wallace Smith from Tuckahoe - Richmond Enquirer, Richmond, Virginia, November 23, 1852
