Downing Hut

Legend: About a mile below Craddockville -- in Craddock Neck -- near Craddock Creek. In reference to this place the photograher writes, 12/23/96, as follows: The Downing home near Craddockville and a few of the children (7 out of 16). It was taken Dec. 17/96, while the weather was cold and very windy, from the back of the house. There never was a window in the hut and the door is off the hinges and the day the picture was taken the smoke poured out of the door, roof & all over, so that it was impossible for me to see inside part of the time. When I went there one of the oldest girls was naked and three others very near so but they managed to fix up considerable to have their pictures taken. The two benches, on the outside, constitute the whole household furniture except an empty cracker box and an iron fire poker. There is not a rag of any kind about the house except what they had on or a sign of any bed, chair, table or anything. There is no upstairs or floor in the house. They sleep in the corners and in front of the fire place on the ground. They did not mind the smoke and said that they were not cold and that the house did not leak &c.