A
fence line dividing the property into eastern and western halves was located
only a couple of feet to the west of the main dwelling at the Atkinson
site. Evidence of the fence consisted of a shallow ditch with impressions
of wooden posts within the bottom of the ditch was found and excavated
in 2002. At the time of the Atkinson’s occupation of the site, small posts
would have been stuck vertically within the ditch and supported with clay
packed around their bases, with smaller branches and twigs woven through
the vertical posts to fill in the gaps between posts. A break or gap in
the fence line was found to the south of the main dwelling, and was probably
the location of gate that allowed access from one side of the houselot
to the other. The fence line continued to both the north and south of
the houselot, and out of the project boundaries, thus preventing the full
exposure of fence line’s extent.
Most importantly, the fence line divided the Atkinson houselot not only into two halves, but it also separated the home of the Atkinson family away from the plantation’s outbuildings, work yard, and most significantly the quarter used to house the Atkinson’s slaves or indentured servants. From the perspective of the Atkinson’s, the fence line may have served not only to physically separate, but also to also symbolically separate the family’s dwelling away from their laborers’ quarter and the houselot’s work spaces. Although Atkinson was merely a middling planter, relatively low on the economic ladder, he nonetheless sought to distinguish his status as a cut above those working for him. On the other hand, to the slaves or indentured servants living in the quarter and working in the houselot, the fence may have provided some privacy from the watchful eye of their masters, allowing them the potential to develop and assert their own way of life.
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