In this video, project Director Karl McAlister describes the craftsmanship that went into building the cabins, and the utilitarian aspects of housing slaves during the plantation era.
From the South Carolina Department of Archives and History:
"These former slave houses, originally almost duplicate in design, illustrate the early practice of mass production of unit dwellings. Black craftsmen and artisans, using the same craftsmanship that went into elegant plantation owners’ houses, did much of the skilled labor in Southern plantation buildings. The craftsmanship shown in these dovetailed, hewn logs is usually not attributed to work found in slave dwellings. These small houses incorporate many of the same architectural elements found in larger Southern homes. The open front porches covered by roof overhang and supported by pillar posts, the gable roofs, and rear additions are all typical of the region. These houses were moved sometime before 1870, and again in 1971 for the construction of the Francis Marion University Library. Today both houses stand in an uncultivated field at the edge of the woods. Listed in the National Register July 22, 1974."
For the full SCDAH article and images: SCDAH: Hewn Timber Cabins