Hermann Grima Gallier Historic Houses

This is a typical slave room of the early 19th century in New Orleans.

Slave's rooms were very plain, when compared to the lavishly decorated main house. The walls were whitewashed, the floors were bare and unfinished, and the windows were covered by simple muslin curtains.

Inventories for slave rooms in 19th-century New Orleans indicate that slaves were given cast-off, broken, and old pieces of furniture that may have once been used in the more elegant main house. Mattresses for the slaves were stuffed with Spanish moss, rather than the more expensive horsehair used on the beds in the main house.

Enslaved children were a constant presence on this property. Children are often ignored in any discussion of slavery. Here, we have brought children to the forefront with the display of cradles in this room.

An elderly slave or older children often watched young children so their mothers could work without distraction. As soon as enslaved children were old enough, they were put to work with simple tasks, such as sweeping or carrying wood and water. They would often assist older slaves with their chores. As they got older, they would be assigned more arduous and complicated jobs. If an enslaved worker showed a talent for something – cooking, carpentry, etc., he or she was sometimes given professional training, usually in the form of an apprenticeship.

Hermann-Grima/Gallier Historic Houses Administrative Office
820 Saint Louis Street New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone:(504) 525-5661 Fax: (504) 568-9735 Email: info@hgghh.org