Brian,
Glad that you took shots of this old turpentine shack. This is a classic building that apparently was produced time and again in the piney woods of South Georgia. When we purchased a small tract of land for my folks back in ’67 in Jeff Davis County, there were several of these located on and adjacent to the property. They were identical to this one and were made of unpainted yellow pine boards. The back shed part of these structures is classic. Some shacks had hand hewn pine log foundations with square nails binding them together. Hand dug wells stood in the back yards.
In the late 1800’s and the first half of the 1900’s, the turpentine business was a major industry in South Georgia. I still have some relics from this industry such as an old tar barrel, a scrape blade, a hack blade, and some “tin” tar cups. Early cups were actually indentures or pockets hacked into the tree itself. These primitive structures were replaced by round clay pots that were fastened to the trees by a nail. Later the ceramic cups were updated and a rectangular ten cup with guiding tens strips were used. The mostly black people who worked “boxes” lived in the shacks that usually belonged to a white owner. Like sharecroppers or tenant farms, the people were very dependent upon the owners who controlled the land, the commissary, and the distilling business. Even today one can still find some old pines growing in a few places that bear the scars of the hack and scrape. These rosin coated scars are called “Catfaces.” They are vanishing quickly and if you can find some, they would make really nice pictures.
Jesse Bookhardt
Catface…so many memories. Thanks Brian and Jesse.
My great grandfather was Mann Carter and his son was Fred Carter. Do you know if this turpentine shack had anything to do with the family?
I am from Jacksonville,Ga. My brother “worked the boxes,” as dipping tar was known
Brian,
Glad that you took shots of this old turpentine shack. This is a classic building that apparently was produced time and again in the piney woods of South Georgia. When we purchased a small tract of land for my folks back in ’67 in Jeff Davis County, there were several of these located on and adjacent to the property. They were identical to this one and were made of unpainted yellow pine boards. The back shed part of these structures is classic. Some shacks had hand hewn pine log foundations with square nails binding them together. Hand dug wells stood in the back yards.
In the late 1800’s and the first half of the 1900’s, the turpentine business was a major industry in South Georgia. I still have some relics from this industry such as an old tar barrel, a scrape blade, a hack blade, and some “tin” tar cups. Early cups were actually indentures or pockets hacked into the tree itself. These primitive structures were replaced by round clay pots that were fastened to the trees by a nail. Later the ceramic cups were updated and a rectangular ten cup with guiding tens strips were used. The mostly black people who worked “boxes” lived in the shacks that usually belonged to a white owner. Like sharecroppers or tenant farms, the people were very dependent upon the owners who controlled the land, the commissary, and the distilling business. Even today one can still find some old pines growing in a few places that bear the scars of the hack and scrape. These rosin coated scars are called “Catfaces.” They are vanishing quickly and if you can find some, they would make really nice pictures.
Jesse Bookhardt
Jesse, thanks for reminding me. I haven’t seen a catface in a few years, but agree it would be nice to find one for the website.
I absolutely love your pictures and your blog. Thanks for sharing
Thanks, Michelle!