Our item for today is the photograph of a small wooden house being carried from one location to another on a truck along Taylor’s Range in the late 1970s or early 1980s. This sight was once, quite common but has become less so over the years as more and more home owners abandoned wood for the more durable concrete blocks.
The houses were small because a great deal of household activity actually took place in the yard which was kept clear of grass and clutter. The yard was the place for cooking, washing, bathing, and playing. The steps leading into the house were sometimes the place to sit and eat or even socialise. The space within the tiny structure consisted of a sleeping area and occasionally a sitting area.
This image shows how easy it was for a plantation owner to have the house of an insubordinate worker removed from the estate and left in the road.
Do you have similar photographs? The National Archives would be grateful for scans of photos of the old wooden houses especially of interiors. If you can help please get in touch and we will let you know how best to scan them for us so that we can preserve the best possible image. Alternatively you can drop by our office and we will scan them and return them to you right away.