"There was yet another room that had lots of plants and windows and was in the shape of an octagon"

The students recently visited the Jemison-Van de Graff Mansion.

This week, the students pondered what Eliza Potter, an antebellum  mixed race woman, might have heard or seen if she had visited the Jemison-Van de Graaff Mansion here in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, The mansion was built between 1859-1862 by Robert Jemison Jr., who held many titles, among them bridge builder and mill operator. He also owned more than 500 enslaved people. Interestingly, he was against secession and reportedly allowed his bondsmen and women to learn how to read and use the indoor toilet in this mansion which was his “town home” (his plantations were located in the more rural parts of Tuscaloosa). The Italianate-styled mansion is  located at 1305 Greensboro Ave in Tuscaloosa.

What might have the opinionated Potter felt or said upon entering this structure? Eight students in this class provided answers after completing a tour of the facility this past Wednesday. All of their responses were fill-in-the-blank sentences. Some of the sentences required them to make something up. No one went out on any imaginative limbs. They generally stuck to factual information about the building and the people who resided there. Their answers have been woven together below:

Hear Potter's life in Cincinnati.

My name is Eliza Potter and I was born in 1820 in New York. I have traveled to many places including France and Canada. My uncle told me not to visit Alabama, but I decided to do so anyway. I traveled by railway to Tuscaloosa where I had a chance to visit the Jemison Mansion. Let me tell you about this place. Where do I begin?  I most remember a particular room that had a Belvedere that was used for heating and cooling purposes. There was also a room that had vibrant carpeting and bright color walls. There was yet another room that had lots of plants and windows and was in the shape of an octagon. These rooms and the house brought back memories of my travels to many places including Saratoga and New Orleans, places where I saw many fine buildings. I also encountered many interesting people and observed many expensive things that made me feel very uneasy. Imagine arriving here at Jemison encountering something similar.  While visiting here I also saw priceless pieces of furniture that had been brought here from abroad via steamboat. I also observed fine craftsmanship and the way these things displayed Jemison’s wealth. I also saw Mrs. Jemison in her study managing the household. She also received visitors including society women. I also saw slaves tending to the conservatory and later heard someone playing piano as the breeze traveled through the house as night. All of these things help me see just how complicated the human condition is. Oh, lest I forget I also wanted to share that I met the ancestors of Michael, Evelyn, Aaron, Ryan, Regan, Lauren, A.J. and Anne Marie, eight students taking “The Nineteenth Century City” at the University of Alabama in 2013. They told me these young people will someday study buildings in the area. Those buildings are Woods Hall, Bryce Hospital, Hunter Chapel, Manly Hall, the campus Guard House and President’s Mansion. These are structures to which I may travel and learn more about this area. For now, I must return to Cincinnati to my own home under my own vine and own fig tree.

If you wish to hear an audio version of Potter’s memoir, which was written in 1859, click here. As an aside, in less than two weeks, the students will turn in short essays about Tuscaloosa structures that existed during the nineteenth century with the exception of one, which is a new structure for a church that existed in the area during this century. Their findings will figure into a short movie that will be presented at 4 pm December 4, 2013 in Room 118 tenHoor, University of Alabama. Katherine Richter, Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa County Historical Society will speak. For now, we want to thank Ian Crawford, who runs the Jemison House, for conducting our recent tour. His assistance (as well as that of Tim, another employee) is greatly appreciated. If you would like to visit the mansion, it is opened Monday through Friday from 10 am to 5 pm. Call 205-758-2906 for more information.