The Chattel House: A Symbol of Freedom
Discover Barbados' Chattel House History. The goods house is one of the most recognisable symbols of Barbados-- a little wood home with bright Caribbean colours, high gable roofs, and verandahs that welcome the breeze. However beyond their beauty, goods houses bring an effective and distinctively Barbadian story. These homes emerged after emancipation, when previously enslaved individuals were free but still had little access to land. Plantation owners managed most of the island, so employees typically survived on land they did not own. Their homes required to be theirs-- but likewise needed to move with them if the landowner changed, the work moved, or the family sought a brand-new start. The option was innovative: develop a home that might walk. Set on coral stone blocks instead of a repaired structure, the chattel house could be lifted, moved, and rolled to a new location. Neighbours would collect to help, turning every move into a moment of neighborhood and celebration. It was ...