Slave quarters within the home of slave owners was the norm in the North, and can be compared to the living situation of household slaves in the South, who also resided in the home of their master rather than in exterior quarters which were reserved for field hands. Surviving documentation found in Northern inventories and slave narratives demonstrate that slave quarters were typically located in attic chambers (in both the main portion of the house and above the kitchen) and cellars.  

The slaves of the Bush family in Greenwich had similar slave quarters in what is now called the Bush-Holley House. An interpretation of what those quarters may have looked like is shown above. The family slaves most likely lived in the second floor of the ell above the kitchen, which can be seen in this photograph taken in the late 19th century. The ell once contained a stairway extending from the kitchen to the second floor providing the slaves with a more private way to move through the house into two different spheres: that of master and slave.

Image, top: Recreation of the Slave Quarters, Bush-Holley House. The Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich. Image, bottom: Rear of the Bush-Holley House, ca. 1900. The Historical Society of the Town of Greenwich.