Existing comment:
White Haven's Outbuildings:
Operating this 850-acre farm required numerous outbuildings. These included a spring house built over the spring to provide a cool place for crocks of butter and cheese; a barn behind the main house for livestock such as cows, pigs, and sheep; and lime kiln built along Gravois Creek to fertilize the pastures. The remaining two buildings before you serve as reminders of the work necessary to operate a self-sufficient farm.
Ice House: Preservation of perishable foods required construction of an ice house. Thick stone walls built into the side of the hill provided insulation and drainage, while a steep-pitched roof with a louvered cupola vented out warm air. Large blocks of ice were cut from rivers and ponds in the winter and transported to the ice house. One room was packed solid with ice blocked layers with sawdust for additional insulation. Foods placed in the rooms were thereby preserved through mid-summer.
Chicken House: Chickens and eggs were an important source of food and income for White Haven's residents. Caring for chickens was usually the responsibility of women. Enslaved cook Mary Robinson had Grant's dog Leo helped her catch chickens for dinners. Julia raised several special breeds as pets, and later the caretaker's wife Sarah and her daughters earned about $400 a year selling chickens and eggs. The chicken house was moved to its present location by 1913. Most farms kept at least fifty chickens on a half acre to produce enough eggs for family use and sale.
Like other farmers, Grant built his kiln near water, which was necessary to produce lime. |