Lucas Cabin

[BettyO]

Capitol Losses is a grand book....

Unfortunately, places like the Lucas Cabin fall by the wayside.

I worked for 8 years at a historic house, Maymont, here in Richmond. I'm still close friends with the site manager and others and go out there alot. They just recently about 3 years ago restored their basement as to what it originally looked like - and now give "backstairs tours" of the servant's quarters. These tours are extremely popular with the public. The house is an 1890s mansion which has been maintained since 1925 as a museum/living history site. The basement as well as the attic was the servant's quarters. They were never maintained - why? Because it was thought up until recently that "noone" wanted to see servant's quarters or understand the history of how they lived! Foolish thought! In order to understand history, we have to understand all aspects of it - both upper, middle AND lower classes. This is the only way, in my estimation, to fully understand the past and the people who lived it.

Unfortunately, historically significant places like the Lucas Cabin were also given the same thought in the last century - and left to fall into ruin and demolition. I pray that the Peyton House doesn't fall into the same category due to lack of funds -