The Mattox House Activity Historical Thinking The Mattox House Activity

Object of Inquiry: Mattox House Frames an authentic problem based on one of the houses on the grounds of Greenfield Village Henry Ford’s visit to the Mattox House c. 1934, The Mattox House was purchased around 1934 (time of Amos Sr.’s death). It was dismantled and brought from Bryan County, GA to Michigan in 1943 In this picture, Henry Ford is talking to Grace Mattox.

Central Problems Overarching Questions: What are the challenges and problems historians and curators face in “recreating” an account of a past event using evidence? How do historians and curators meet these challenges? Driving Question of the Activity: What was the floor plan of the Mattox House in the 1930s?

What was the floor plan of the Mattox House in the 1930s? Evidence & Sources What was the floor plan of the Mattox House in the 1930s? Five images of Mattox House (exterior only) Interviews with Dr. Leslie Long, Bryan Co. Resident and Agricultural Specialist Interviewed in 1989 E.J. Cutler, Ford Executive (accompanied Henry Ford when he purchased the house) Interviewed in 1955 Charles Boles, Mattox Neighbor Member of the same church as Mattox’s; Lived in Bryan Co., GA at the time of the interview in 1989 Carrie Mattox, Daughter Born in 1926; 7 when the house was sold; interviewed in 1989 (63 years old) Amos Mattox, Jr., Son Born in 1924; 9 when the house was sold; interviewed in 1989 (65 years old) Cutler: restoration supervisor; in charge of dismantling and redesigning house. Interview 1955 Boles: lived a couple of miles away. Member of the same church as the Mattox family. Lived in the Bryan Co, GA. at the time of the interviews in the 1980s Carrie born 1926, seven when the house was sold; interviewed in 1989 (63 years old) Amos Jr. born 1924, nine when the house was sold; interviewed in 1989 (65 years old) Unfortunately, we have the remaining photographs of the original house and the people who knew it best died long ago. However, here are a few primary sources that provide the most direct information about the floor plan.

Your tasks: Examine the evidence, formulate a hypothesis, & draw conclusions Review the evidence (photos and interviews) Decide how many rooms were in the house and their purposes Suggestions: You may want to start with the number of bedrooms Decide where the rooms are as well as other features (e.g., halls, porches) Make a tentative floor plan. Be prepared to explain how you made your choices by providing evidence from the documents to support your claims

Have groups draw tentative floor plans based on initial evidence Have groups draw tentative floor plans based on initial evidence. Stop them at one point to talk about reliability of the sources: are some more reliable than others? Why? An important part of the lesson has students develop criteria for the reliability of sources that they can use throughout the year.

Front Back Arbor Side Chimney Side

The Floor Plan that was recreated by the curators