You are standing in front of an artifact case. This side of the case includes a reader rail titled “Unlocking Woodlawn’s History” and three groups of artifacts with labels titled “Building materials,” “Furniture,” and “Changes in Fuel.” To your left is a doorway leading to the back hallway and on to section two of the exhibition: Colonial Life. To your right is a graphic panel titled “SERC’s Campus and the Surrounding Area: 1776 to 1865.” Behind you is a graphic panel titled “Breaking Free with Britain.”

The section of the case in front of you includes a reader rail with text and two images, and three groups of artifacts with labels.

The reader rail reads:

Unlocking Woodlawn’s History
While working on the house, SERC staff discovered a corroded iron rim lock. Scientists at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute examined the lock to uncover hidden details.

A brass patent seal revealed that it was made by James Carpenter, a prominent locksmith from England, between 1830 and 1844. It was likely installed on the door of an upstairs bedroom when the Sellman family added this extension to their house in 1841.

Think About It . . .
Are there any clues in your home that reveal when it was built?

There are two images on the reader rail: One shows an x-ray of the lock, displaying its inner workings. The other shows the lock’s brass patent seal, which indicates that it was made between 1830, when the patent was awarded, and 1844, when locksmith James Carpenter died and the company changed ownership.

The labels in the case in front of you read:

Building Materials
Enslaved people built many of the buildings in the area.

Recovered from Woodlawn:
1. Iron rim lock made by James Carpenter of England, ca. 1830 to 1844
2. Iron key, 1735 to 1900

Recovered from the site of the Brown family house:
6. Machine-cut nails, ca. 1850 to 1910

Recovered from SERC’s campus:
7. Handmade brick, ca. 1650 to 1900

Furniture
Although no original furniture remains at Woodlawn or the neighboring plantations, archaeologists have recovered decorative fragments hinting at fine furnishings befitting wealthy plantation owners.

Recovered from Sparrow’s Rest:
3. Brass acorn-shaped furniture decoration, ca. 1650 to 1735

Recovered from Woodlawn:
4. Decorative escutcheon, possibly from a piece of furniture, ca. 1700s to 1800s

Recovered from Java:
5. Upholstery tack, ca. 1776 to 1865

Changes in Fuel
Coal increasingly replaced wood for heating and cooking in the late 1800s. By this period, much of the surrounding land had been cleared of trees for pasture and crops. Still, some households in the area continued to use firewood.

Recovered from Woodlawn: 
18. Coal, probably post-1865