Barbados Wooden Chattel Homes
Discover Barbados' Chattel House History. The chattel home is one of the most recognisable symbols of Barbados-- a little wood home with bright Caribbean colours, high gable roofs, and verandahs that invite the breeze. However beyond their appeal, goods houses bring a powerful and distinctively Barbadian story. These homes emerged after emancipation, when formerly enslaved individuals were totally free but still had little access to land. Plantation owners managed most of the island, so employees often resided on land they did not own. Their homes needed to be theirs-- but likewise required to move with them if the landowner altered, the work shifted, or the family sought a new start. The service was innovative: construct a home that might walk. Set on coral stone obstructs instead of a repaired structure, the chattel home could be raised, moved, and rolled to a new location. Neighbours would gather to assist, turning every move into a moment of community and event. It was a home y...