Waveland Park
Waveland State Historic Site, also known as the Joseph Bryan House, is located in Lexington, Kentucky. It's currently a museum, with different buildings, such as slave quarters, a smokehouse, and an ice house that date back all the way to the antebellum era. Today, the site stands as a historic example of life for the upper and lower classes in historic Kentucky, and also serves as one of the best exhibitions of Greek-Revival architecture in the state.
In addition, the site contains many interesting artifacts, both originally from the estate itself and imported from other places. Items native to Waveland include a Waveland Star quilt, a pattern said to have been pioneered on the estate. In addition, the estate features furniture owned by a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte. If you are interested in visiting this site, click here. The Beginings of the Estate |
|
Waveland began as 2,000 acres of wilderness until it was surveyed and converted into the estate. Family tradition claims that it was Daniel Boone who initially surveyed the estate for his nephew Daniel Boone Bryan. Thus, the Bryans and many of their neighbors settled in the Waveland Estate, also known as Bryan's Station, and started along the road to creating a successful plantation. Thus Daniel Bryan and his son Joseph built up the estate, and included a gun shop, a gristmill, a blacksmith shop, a distillery, and a paper mill. The entire estate employed over 30 paid workers, and included a Baptist Church and one of the first established schools for females in the state.
Of course, none of this success would have been possible without the work of numerous slaves that tended to the land and industries. There were multiple distinct classes of slaves, including the slaves that worked in the house.
Of course, none of this success would have been possible without the work of numerous slaves that tended to the land and industries. There were multiple distinct classes of slaves, including the slaves that worked in the house.
Building the Main House
After the death of Daniel Bryan, his son Joseph Bryan decided to build a new, more showy estate to please his wife, and tore down the old stone house. Joseph Bryan was the favorite son of Daniel, and thus inherited the entire property. He hired Lexingtonian Washington Allen to build a house in the Greek Revival style popular with farmers at the time. Most of the materials for the house came from the Bryan plantation itself: the bricks were burned on site, the iron was crafted in the blacksmith's shop, and even the lumber was felled on the property. The stone for the foundations, one of the few foreign materials, was quarried nearby on the Kentucky River and transported to the estate for refinement.
Years later, the mansion was completed: ionic columns and doorways seemingly plucked from the Acropolis, long porches and porticos on either side, and 14 spacious rooms with high ceilings for temperature regulation. Walls were constructed from bricks made from mud on the Waveland property, and were built three bricks wide to prevent drafts. The house did not include a ballroom in the addition, as the family was a close friend to Alexander Campbell, a leader in the Religious Restoration movement who opposed dancing and other frivolous activity.
Margaret Bryan, Joseph's husband, and wanted the interior of the house to be well-decorated. Waveland was the first house with wall-to-wall carpeting in the United States, an unimaginable luxury at the time. In addition, the house contained a large amount of silver dinnerware so pure that an accidental bite could leave a permanent mark. However, Joseph attempted to avoid many of the extravagances his wife desired: for instance, though Margaret wanted to install black marble fireplaces and baseboards, but Joseph had wooden ones added instead. When his wife voiced her complaints about the change, Joseph came in with black paint and sloshed it along the wood. "There's your black marble," he said.
Years later, the mansion was completed: ionic columns and doorways seemingly plucked from the Acropolis, long porches and porticos on either side, and 14 spacious rooms with high ceilings for temperature regulation. Walls were constructed from bricks made from mud on the Waveland property, and were built three bricks wide to prevent drafts. The house did not include a ballroom in the addition, as the family was a close friend to Alexander Campbell, a leader in the Religious Restoration movement who opposed dancing and other frivolous activity.
Margaret Bryan, Joseph's husband, and wanted the interior of the house to be well-decorated. Waveland was the first house with wall-to-wall carpeting in the United States, an unimaginable luxury at the time. In addition, the house contained a large amount of silver dinnerware so pure that an accidental bite could leave a permanent mark. However, Joseph attempted to avoid many of the extravagances his wife desired: for instance, though Margaret wanted to install black marble fireplaces and baseboards, but Joseph had wooden ones added instead. When his wife voiced her complaints about the change, Joseph came in with black paint and sloshed it along the wood. "There's your black marble," he said.
Slave Life
Slaves living on the Waveland Estate often resided separately from the family. Often, they would live in the slave quarters located behind the house, made of brick with hardwood floors. The living area is on the second floor of the building, and contains three separate, noticeable rooms. Two rooms contain a small cot each, along with other basic necessities. The rooms also have windows allowing ventilation and light to enter. Evidence of a fireplace also suggests that the quarters were warmed during the cold days. Slaves also had the liberty to own a gun for hunting at Waveland, something that rarely ever occurs. The children also had toys and dolls in their quarters, made of either wood, or corncobs.
The quarters were located next to the kitchen where some slaves would work, while few others worked and lived inside the estate. Kitchen workers would aid in preparing and cooking food, as well as drawing water. Those who worked in the household did the housework, and kept the estate neat. After slaves were freed in Kentucky, post-Civil War, many continued to live and work at Waveland. |
|
Losing the Estate
Joseph Bryan was a wealthy man, but a poor manager of his finances. (In fact, the only thing he was truly good at was raising race horses, one of which was bought by William Rockefeller.) He drank and gambled, losing money quickly and angering his creditors, who eventually demanded payment of debts. Joseph was forced to mortgage the estate and sell much of its furniture. As the auction went on, Joseph sat on the side porch of the house with a glass of brandy and his pet mockingbird, unwilling to accept the loss. Every one of his eleven children stopped talking to him, and he would die poor, never accepting his situation.
Current Museum
Waveland Historic Site currently
holds public tours Wednesday through Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM.
The hour-long tour covers the Bryan estate, slave quarters, smokehouse and ice house. Each tour begins at the front of the Bryan household, where guides will begin to share fascinating information that gives visitors a look into the lives of those who lived at Waveland. Visitors are led through numerous rooms including bedrooms, dining room, and the sitting room, each of which has artfully arranged furniture and artifacts. The stories are not repetitive as the tour feels like a trip through history. Never will visitors ever feel overwhelmed by the experience. After touring the house, visitors are led to the slave quarters, where they will be able to observe the living conditions of Waveland slaves. The tour concludes with visits to both the smokehouse and ice house. While it is not an extravagant presentation, it is still a highly enjoyable trip for everybody.
Each artifact and room is perfectly set up to better create a tour that covers every aspect of the Bryan's household. The tour guides are especially helpful, answering any questions visitors may have. But one of the best things about the site is that it's employees are honest. The guide spoke honestly about how Waveland became a museum. The museum is constantly expanding and growing. At the time that the Dunbar History Club toured, the site had been working to add other rooms and exhibits to the tour. Waveland was not just like any other museum, but one that is changing and expanding.
The hour-long tour covers the Bryan estate, slave quarters, smokehouse and ice house. Each tour begins at the front of the Bryan household, where guides will begin to share fascinating information that gives visitors a look into the lives of those who lived at Waveland. Visitors are led through numerous rooms including bedrooms, dining room, and the sitting room, each of which has artfully arranged furniture and artifacts. The stories are not repetitive as the tour feels like a trip through history. Never will visitors ever feel overwhelmed by the experience. After touring the house, visitors are led to the slave quarters, where they will be able to observe the living conditions of Waveland slaves. The tour concludes with visits to both the smokehouse and ice house. While it is not an extravagant presentation, it is still a highly enjoyable trip for everybody.
Each artifact and room is perfectly set up to better create a tour that covers every aspect of the Bryan's household. The tour guides are especially helpful, answering any questions visitors may have. But one of the best things about the site is that it's employees are honest. The guide spoke honestly about how Waveland became a museum. The museum is constantly expanding and growing. At the time that the Dunbar History Club toured, the site had been working to add other rooms and exhibits to the tour. Waveland was not just like any other museum, but one that is changing and expanding.
Archaeological Findings
The excavation of the Waveland Historic site has yielded a plethora of historical artifacts that provide insight into how people at the estate lived their lives. For example, below are some toys and common items used in the house, which serve as a snapshot into the past. (Images from Archaeological Investigations at Waveland State Shrine by David Pollack.)
|
By excavating historic sites, we learn more about the lifestyles of the people who came before us. Archeology is a way to contribute to our understanding of the past, and according to Santayana and Kennedy, "Those who can't remember the past are Doomed to repeat it."
|
Sources
Waveland Historic Site
Waveland: Home of the Bryans by Dr. David C. McMurtry
http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/waveland/history.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveland_State_Historic_Site
http://wavelandmuseum.wordpress.com/lindsay-delventhal-history-of-waveland-historic-museum/
http://migration.kentucky.gov/Newsroom/parks/waveland071212.htm
Waveland: Home of the Bryans by Dr. David C. McMurtry
http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/waveland/history.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waveland_State_Historic_Site
http://wavelandmuseum.wordpress.com/lindsay-delventhal-history-of-waveland-historic-museum/
http://migration.kentucky.gov/Newsroom/parks/waveland071212.htm