Tabby

The origin of the use of Tabby in construction is unclear. During the first part of the eighteenth century, tabby construction methods were used along the coast from Spanish Florida to South Carolina as well as West Africa. Suggesting that the use of tabby was brought to the Americas from Africa.

Similar to modern day cement tabby is a mixture of lime, sand and water. Oyster shells were burned in a hot fire to produce the needed lime while water and sand were abundant. Whole and larger pieces were added to the tabby mix as an aggregate to provide volume.

The tabby was poured into a wooden form a layer at a time, left to dry and then covered with a coat of thickened lime to create a smooth surface on the walls.

The Timucua Indians and their ancestors used oysters as a dietary staple leaving behind large shell middens creating the abundant supply of oyster shells for use in tabby construction.