We walked the path on what was called "Beyond the Mansion". By the 1840's there were more than 150 African-American slaves living and working on the Hermitage plantation. Slaves served the household, performed farm work, or had specialized skills such as blacksmiths and carpenters. Those assigned to household duties lived in dwellings near the mansion; those assigned to farming lived in quarters nearer the fields. The pictures below were The Springhouse....it was located about 300 yards from the mansion and was used to chill dairy and other food products and was the main source of fresh water for the plantation community.