| Jefferson added an east wing to his house in 1814 to accommodate cooking-related needs.
The room closest to the house probably was used for cold storage, as it had no fireplace. The second room was the kitchen. Though Jefferson said he had only "plain plantation fare" at his retreat, his kitchen facilities nonetheless were state-of-the-art for his time. The kitchen had an oven, a fireplace, a set kettle placed over a fire and filled with water in order to ensure a steady supply of hot water, and a stew range with three different sizes that was used to make French sauces. |
Kitchen. From left to right: baking oven,
fireplace, set kettle, stew range. |
The wing was covered by a flat, or terras, roof. The wing provides a charming insight into life at Poplar Forest with Jefferson and the two granddaughters who often accompanied him to Poplar Forest. Jefferson wrote: "About twilight of the evening we would sally out with the owls and the bats and take our evening exercise on the terras."
The restoration team is now rebuilding the wing. Masons have completed the walls and columns. Carpenters have completed all aspects of Jefferson's complex terras roof system except for the flat decking. Work on this step will be done over the winter of 2007/2008. To learn more about the complex structure of the terras roof, click here. |
The gutter joists resting atop the large timber
plates over the walls of the east wing. |
