BALTIMORE (AP) — The greenhouse on the Maryland slave plantation where abolitionist Frederick Douglass spent part of his childhood is filled with more African history than originally thought.
The structure near Easton, Maryland, was long considered a mark of European sophistication. But archeologists at the University of Maryland say it’s filled with African touches, such as a stone pestle concealed in brick ductwork to ward off bad spirits, and charms buried at the greenhouse entrance.
The plantation first grew flowering plants, shrubs and medicinal herbs, but eventually, lemons and orange trees started popping up.
Excavation leader Mark Leone says slaves at the greenhouse also were creating the unique practice of African-American gardening, something Douglass may not have realized.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.