Richmond Hill Plantation, Cherry Hill Lettuce Shed, East of Richmond Hill on Ford Neck Road, Richmond Hill

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2348-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The Cherry Hill Creek Lettuce Shed was used to pack lettuce grown in the adjacent Cherry Hill Marsh. Iceberg lettuce was the most successful of Henry Ford's experimental crops. Description: This building measures x Its construction is almost identical to the Sterling Creek Lettuce Shed. The two-story building has a heavy post and beam frame construction with posts set on concrete footings; the enclosed room on the north end has a poured concrete foundation. The shed has shuttered single sash windows and a board and batten exterior (except for the north end which is covered with V-crimp sheet metal. The first story level at the shed's south end is left open with a dirt floor for open-air storage and vehicle parking.

History: Henry Ford sponsored world-wide research efforts for the use of agricultural products. In addition to being Henry Ford's personal retreat, the Richmond Hill estate was utilized in the same manner as a university experimental farm. At the Richmond Hill laboratory, considerable effort went into finding economically viable crops for former rice fields. All along the Savannah and Ogeechee Rivers, millions of acres of these abandoned tidal rice fields had reverted to marshland. Numerous vegetable crops were moderately successful, but Iceberg lettuce grown in the old rice lands was found to have "a particularly better flavor" than the same variety from uplands. It became the most profitable of all the experimental crops.

Two lettuce packing sheds were constructed around to efficiently process the harvest and get it to market. Lettuce was produced and packed in this shed for approximately ten years, from about to After that time, it was used as a barn for general purpose storage.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS GA-2348-G. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

Scott Butler and David Diener, Brockington and Associates, Atlanta Bay Circle, Suite Norcross, Georgia August c; n 0 z d r r "i::I r ~ >- t:o 0 r.n .~ Zn ::r 0 (t> Q~ ~ N w -- oo r . -, '\ ' (t> Q ~~ Ca. photograph oflettuce packing crates at the Cherry Hill Lettuce Shed (Long and Long "i::I (") ~ (t> (Jq r.n (t> ::r N n> 0.. ~ n ~ ~ ~ t:l ~ F l' '""O l' ~ ~ > > to 0 ifJ ~z 0 Zn (l) CJ ~ t0~ VJ 00 I CJ ~ ~i= Ca.

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Buildings Survey

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