Grub Hoe- Prince George's County, MD
Institution: Maryland Arch. Conservation Lab at Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum
State: Maryland
Object: Garden Hoe
Era: 18th Century
This garden hoe was recovered at the bottom of a well at Oxon Hill Manor. The well was used as a refuse dump and dated between 1720 and 1750, when the Addisons owned the property. Col. John Addison was one of the Maryland’s first settlers during the mid 17th century.
Based on the shape of the blade and collar, this was a grub hoe used to break up soil for tobacco plants. At the earliest point, the family owned a total of 75 enslaved Africans, as well as three indentured servants. Either class of workers could have used this tool, but the use of slave labor increased as tobacco industry grew.
