History of Olde Homestead’s Summer Kitchen
If you’ve played on our beautiful 18-hole golf course in New Tripoli, you may have wondered about the history of some of the buildings on the course. The Summer Kitchen is located near the Number 9 tee and is one of the remaining original structures of the Schneider settlement from the 1700’s.
What is a Summer Kitchen?
Summer kitchens became popular in the 18th and 19th centuries in settlements and homes that could afford them at that time. The purpose of the summer kitchen is to make conditions inside the home a little more bearable and safer in those days without indoor plumbing or air conditioning.
These small buildings were erected near the main house, and it was used for things like cooking, bathing, and laundry duties. Having a designated area for these activities helped keep the main house cooler. It also reduced the risk of house fires, since the fires for cooking were contained away from the main home.
The Olde Homestead Summer Kitchen
Our summer kitchen was built adjacent to the main house, erected from stone and wood. The summer kitchen at Olde Homestead has one long stone and brick chimney connected to not one but two ovens on the first and second floors.
These days, we don’t use it for cooking but it is definitely an interesting building and is used often by our wedding couples as a fun photo backdrop.
Next time you’re on the course, check it out, you will find it by the Number 9 tee on our beautiful 18-hole golf course.