There is something incredibly charming about old houses. The creaky floorboards, the intricate moldings, the leaded glass windows – these relics of the past tell stories of the families who once inhabited the home. This week we take you on a tour of a beautifully preserved colonial kitchen that has remained largely unchanged since the early 1800s. From the brick hearth to the built-in spice cabinets, you’ll uncover the fascinating history behind one of the most central rooms of this historic home.

Introduction

Stepping into the kitchen of this classic 1800s colonial is like taking a step back in time. The space exudes rustic charm with its rough-hewn wood beams, cast iron hardware, and warm red brick floors. Amazingly, much of the kitchen remains in its original state. As we explore this well-worn cooking space, we’ll learn how kitchens functioned in the era as well as the clever storage solutions and early appliances used before modern conveniences. We’ll also discuss common colonial architectural details found throughout the home. Let’s open the creaky wood door and uncover the captivating history within.

An Era of Open Hearth Cooking

The enormous fireplace is the most striking feature of this dated kitchen. The five-foot-wide brick hearth with its built-in beehive oven dominates an entire wall. This kitchen layout, with its open cooking fire, was standard in the period. Stoves as we know them today were not introduced into American kitchens until the mid to late 1800s.

Prior to this time, the fireplace served as the sole cooking station. Meals were prepared over roaring open fires using a number of primitive cooking tools. Heavy iron cauldrons and pots hung from crane arms over the flames. Rotating trammels skewered meats and poultry to roast them evenly. Long handled pans called spider pans enabled frying directly on hot coals.

Managing an open fireplace for cooking took skill. The heat of the fire had to be carefully controlled by raising or lowering the crane arm, or by raking coals to heat the hearth. Hardwoods like oak or hickory were the preferred firewood, providing steady even heat for simmering long-cooked stews and soups.

While cooking in giant fireplaces may seem dangerously laborious to us today, this was everyday life for colonial women. Preparing food over the open hearth was hard hot work, but the bright side was that the constant kitchen fire also provided much needed warmth and light during cold New England winters.

Baking in the Beehive Oven

Next to the large fireplace sits the kitchen’s brick beehive oven. This rounded domed structure was used for baking breads, pies, and roasts.

To utilize the beehive oven, first a wood fire would be built inside it. The oven was heated until the inner bricks were hot to the touch, usually taking an hour or more. Then the coals were raked out using a long handled peel. The food was immediately slid onto the oven’s hot floor to take advantage of the retained heat.

The thick brick walls trapped the heat remarkably well. Pies and breads often baked for up to an hour in the residual warmth. Cooks developed an intuition for judging when the proper baking temperature was reached based on the oven’s interior color changes.

Beehive ovens were a marked improvement over cooking directly in a fireplace. They provided more control over baking temperature and consistency. The ovens were so effective that even after the adoption of cast iron cookstoves, many households continued using beehive ovens for baking.

Cast Iron Stoves – A 19th Century Innovation

By the mid-1800s, cast iron cookstoves started becoming available. Stoves radically changed colonial kitchens, providing greater convenience and control than open hearth cooking.

The first wood and coal burning stoves appeared in the 1820s. Hot on their heels came more compact cast iron cookstoves. These stoves fit neatly into fireplaces during the transitional period and featured multiple top cooking surfaces.

Colonial women welcomed them into their kitchens, as cast iron stoves allowed them to cook multiple dishes at once. The stoves also enabled more precise temperature regulation, while emitting less ambient heat into the room.

This kitchen was updated with a classic green enameled Glenwood stove around 1910. The stove burned a combination of wood and coal fed into the firebox. It provided stove top surfaces for boiling and frying, in addition to an oven for baking.

While we may consider a wood burning stove old-fashioned today, this was state-of-the-art technology in the late 1800s! The addition of the cast iron stove modernized the colonial kitchen and brought it into the beginning of the 20th century.

Storage Innovations – Pantries & Buttery

In order to run an efficient household, colonial cooks relied on various storage innovations to keep food dry, fresh and safe from pests. This kitchen incorporates two indispensable colonial-era storage features – the buttery and the pantry.

The Buttery

Before refrigeration, dairies or “butteries” were essential for storing milk, butter and cheese. The small room off the kitchen served as the home’s buttery. A partition wall with screened openings allowed air circulation while keeping flies and vermin away from precious dairy products.

Shelves lined the walls for food storage, while a large table occupied the center of the room for working. In cool months, the buttery’s north facing windows helped keep contents chilled. The brick floor was easy to clean should spills occur.

Having a separate dairy room adjacent to the kitchen ensured that cooking odors and heat didn’t spoil precious dairy products. For colonial families that relied on dairy for income, the buttery was an indispensable room.

The Pantry

Opposite the buttery sits the kitchen’s large pantry. Well-stocked pantries provided critical food storage before refrigeration. This roomy pantry features floor to ceiling shelving, drawers and cubbies to store a variety of foodstuffs.

Grains, flour, rice and beans were kept in lidded ceramic, glass or metal containers. Salted and smoked meats hung from ceiling hooks. Smaller shelves held oils, vinegars and preserves. Drawers below stored vegetables like onions, turnips and potatoes over winter.

The pantry’s deep windowsill could accommodate milk pans and warming crocks of yeast bread. Having dedicated kitchen storage allowed orderly food preparation and less clutter. Waste was minimized when supplies were clearly organized and visible.

The colonial pantry served a similar purpose to our modern refrigerators. It allowed families to safely store fresh and preserved foods for lengthy periods. Easy access to these stores was fundamental for running an efficient colonial household.

Architectural Details

Beyond the furnishings, we can uncover valuable history through key architectural details. The materials, construction methods and layout used in this kitchen provide insight into common colonial design. Let’s examine a few of the period features that still exist.

Materials

The most prevalent construction materials in colonial homes were wood, brick and stone. These materials were readily available near the building site and provided natural insulating properties.

Wood was used for creating structural framing, flooring and roofing. Oak, pine, chestnut and walnut were commonly milled for lumber depending on the local forests. Wood that was finely hand planed provided attractive exposed beams and wood plank walls, like those seen in this kitchen.

Bricks served multiple purposes. In addition to constructing enormous fireplaces and ovens, bricks were used for walkways, foundations, and chimneys. Clay for brickmaking was abundant, so most colonials utilized this ready resource.

Local fieldstone or quarried granite made exceptionally durable foundations and walkways. Stone walls were also built bordering fields and properties. This kitchen has a partial stone wall dividing it from the keeping room.

By using natural materials close at hand, colonials built sturdy efficient homes with the resources they had available. The kitchen’s wood, brick and stonework reflect the fundamental colonial approach of working with the land.

Built-In Furnishings

Another signature quality of colonial architecture is built-in furnishings. Cabinetry, benches, desks and beds were often constructed right into the structure of the home.

Built-ins served several useful purposes. They saved space in modest rooms. Constructing furnishings on site allowed custom sizing for the room. Built-ins also added to theoverall sturdiness of the structure.

This kitchen contains lovely built-in details. The deep windowsill with drawers underneath provided specialized storage. Corner cabinets maximized the usable space. The cooking hearth and brick beehive oven are integral structural elements as well.

Built-in furnishings helped early American homes function efficiently while lasting for generations. Many have stood the test of time, becoming historical relics we can still enjoy today. This kitchen’s original built-ins help convey the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the period.

Room Flow

A final notable architectural detail is the layout and room flow. Early home plans were designed for practicality. Rooms supported the main activities of the household.

The kitchen was strategically positioned adjacent to the most frequently used rooms. It was directly attached to the keeping room or dining room for serving meals. The buttery and pantry opened directly into the kitchen for storage access. This efficient layout minimized steps between essential rooms.

Work spaces were also logically arranged within the kitchen. The cooking hearth was positioned near the buttery. This allowed easy transport of dairy products for cooking. The large central table provided meal preparation space beside the storage pantries.

While room configurations varied between homes, colonial floorplans always focused on functionality and purpose. The thoughtful layout of this kitchen provided smart workflow for the cooks using the space.

Conclusion

Stepping back into this beautifully preserved colonial kitchen is like entering a time capsule. The enormous hearth, beehive oven and clever built-ins provide genuine insight into 18th and early 19th century daily life. We are granted a firsthand view of how colonial women cooked, baked and nourished their families generation after generation.

Beyond cooking activities, the materials, construction and layout speak volumes about broader colonial values. The home’s thoughtful design focused on practicality, longevity and working with available resources. These fundamental values are reflected throughout the historic kitchen.

Though two centuries have passed, we can still experience genuine colonial history just by entering this kitchen. From the smoke-stained mantle to the well-worn floorboards, the room provides an authentic window into the past. We are reminded of how our ancestors lived, and how theColonial Period began shaping the American households we know today.

Frequently Asked Questions about Colonial Kitchens

Kitchens are the heart of every home. As we’ve explored this 1800s colonial kitchen, many questions may arise about how colonial cooking spaces functioned and evolved. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions to provide more insight into colonial kitchen life.

What furniture and equipment was typically found in an colonial kitchen?

The most essential fixtures were the open brick hearth and built-in beehive oven. Hooks and cranes over the fire supported heavy iron cooking pots. Other key equipment included:

• Large preparation tables – Often built-in, these provided work space near the hearth for chopping, mixing and kneading.
• Wooden trestle tables & benches – Trestle tables with movable bench seats were used for informal family meals and additional food prep space.
• Butter churns – A upright hand crank churn was used to make fresh butter from cream. Butter was an important colonial cooking ingredient and also brought income to the household.
• Sugar nippers – These clamp-like tools were used for breaking or “nipping” hard sugar loaves into smaller usable pieces. Refined sugar was an expensive commodity at the time.
• Spice boxes – Boxes with multiple compartments held precious spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Spices were locked away due to their costly nature.
• Salt containers – Salted meats, fish and butter were dietary staples. Salts boxes and crocks were kitchen necessities.
• Meat jack- Iron horizontal rods were affixed inside the hearth to hold meat for roasting by the fire. The cook turned the handle to rotate the meat jack ensuring even cooking.

What types of food were prepared in colonial kitchens?

Fireplace and wood stove cooking lent itself well to certain dishes:

• Stews – Slow-simmered meat stews cooked directly in heavy pots over the hearth.
• Porridges – Grains like oatmeal and cornmeal made hearty breakfast porridge when cooked with milk or water.
• Breads -Yeast breads, biscuits and cornbread were baked in the beehive oven.
• Pies – Meat pies, fruit pies, and pot pies made good use of the beehive oven’s sustained heat.
• Roasts – Large meat cuts were roasted on spits over the fire. Basting with drippings kept meats moist.
• Fried foods – Deep frying in iron skillets was done over the heated hearth.

Colonial diets centered around grains, produce from gardens or farms, and animal proteins from livestock or game. Available foods depended on the region, season and family’s relative wealth.

How long did cooking take using primitive colonial methods?

Open hearth cooking required significant time, patience and skill. There were no quick shortcuts. Baking a loaf of bread or roasting a large cut of meat could take several hours.

Simply heating the brick beehive oven to the proper temperature took an hour or more. Long simmering stews cooked for up to 6 hours over low heat. Turning spits and monitoring firewood required constant attendance.

Cooking was an all-day task before modern appliances existed. Colonial women spent much of their time tending to food preparation. Their skill at managing fireplace and wood stove cooking was hard earned over years of daily practice.

How did colonial kitchens reduce fire risks?

The large open cooking fire posed risks, especially around small children. Common colonial fire safety practices included:

• Stone or brick hearth – This was a fireproof surface to contain the flames. A sheet metal floor plate also protected wood flooring from stray coals.
• Fireplace fenders – These metal or wood screens were placed in front of the fireplace to catch flying sparks.
• Kitchen tools out of reach – Cooking cranes, handled pots and other equipment stayed beyond a child’s grasp.
• Separate kitchen building- Summer or “warm weather” kitchens detached from the main house kept cooking fires safely separated.

Constant adult supervision was required anytime the hearth was burning. Chimney fires were an ever-present threat as well. Still, hearth cooking fires were a daily necessity colonial families accepted as part of kitchen life.

How did colonial kitchens become modernized?

Several innovations gradually transformed colonial kitchens into modern cooking spaces:

• Cast iron stoves – These stoves from the 1820s-onward provided safer enclosed cooking with better temperature control.
• Kitchen cabinets – Built-in storage cabinets in the early 1800s kept kitchen tools and serving ware organized.
• Hoosier cabinets – All-in-one work cabinets created in the 1890s streamlined food preparation.
• Ice boxes – Insulated wooden ice boxes provided pre-electrical refrigeration starting around 1803.
• Piped water – Municipal water systems and indoor pumps in the mid-late 1800s eliminated hand pumping and well water.
• Gas & electric ranges- Gas stoves from the 1850s and electric stoves from the 1920s took the place of wood or coal burning.

By the 1920s, most urban and suburban kitchens incorporated amenities like gas, electricity, ice boxes and cabinetry for a more modern work environment. Advancements continued with the addition of electric refrigerators, sinks, small appliances and linoleum flooring.

In Conclusion:

Colonial kitchens served as the busy hub of family life for generations. Despite primitive conditions by today’s standards, they provided sustenance and comfort year after year. Uncovering the history within this preserved colonial cooking space gives us deep appreciation for women’s critical domestic role during the era. Their skill, efficiency and perseverance kept colonial families nourished with limited tools at their disposal. While the setting was often harsh, the colonial kitchen remains the warm heart of the home.

Summary of Key Points:

• Open hearth cooking was standard in colonial kitchens. Meals were cooked over large fireplaces using cranes, pots and spits.
• Built-in beehive ovens were used for baking. The ovens provided more temperature control than open fire cooking.
• Cast iron stoves started replacing hearths in the mid 1800s. The stoves offered safer enclosed cooking with more flexibility.
• Pantries and butteries were essential for food storage before refrigeration existed. These specially designed rooms kept food dry, fresh and pest free.
• Kitchens utilized local natural materials like wood, brick and stone. Built-in furnishings helped maximize usable space.
• Cooking took significant time and skill using primitive colonial methods. Long preparation times were the trade-off for more flavorful home cooked meals.
• Various innovations like stoves, hoosier cabinets, and ice boxes helped modernize colonial kitchens by the early 1900s.