1. The Mattox House Activity
Historical Thinking
The Mattox House Activity

2. 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.

3. 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?

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Front
Back
Arbor Side
Chimney Side

9. The Floor Plan that was recreated by the curators