Soap in the 19th century was generally used in washing clothes.

Farmers would often make their own soap as the necessary ingredients were readily found on farms.

A structure used in the soap-making process was the ash hopper. This small structure was used to create lye.

Cold ashes from fires would be put into the hopper which would have had a layer of straw on the bottom. Water was then poured over the ashes which leached the lye from the ashes.

The water/lye mixture was then mixed with lard and boiled.

would be skimmed off the top leaving clean white soap.

JR Fennell is Lexington County Museum director.