Explore Cliveden's Kitchen Dependency
Kitchen Dependency- separated from the rest of the house, it was used as a work space to prepare meals and a living space for those who labored inside including enslaved Africans, indentured servants and paid workers.
Colonnade- When constructed in 1776, this structure, a covered passage, open like a porch to the work yard, connected the Main House to the Kitchen.
Hearth- a brick or stone fireplace used for cooking and also heating.
Archaeology- the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. This can include artifacts, architecture, and landscapes.
The 1767 kitchen dependency was built separately from the main house. The building was both a work and living space for the people doing the cooking including enslaved Africans or indentured and free servants. A covered colonnade was constructed in 1776 to connect the kitchen and the house, and this space continued to be used as a kitchen into the 1900s. The kitchen dependency featured an open hearth in the 18th century. Cast iron stoves and a range were used as cooking technology changed through the 19th century.
Today, you can see traces of the past on the walls and on the floors. There’s the outline foundation of the original hearth and outlines of shelves that had once been installed. You can also see marks on the floors where walls once stood. On the hearth wall you can see evidence of a bake oven and possibly indoor plumbing. It’s a layered history, giving hints at how this kitchen functioned throughout the course of almost 200 years. There is significant, ongoing archaeological work at the kitchen dependency, to better understand these layers.
Instructions: Take a look inside the kitchen dependency using the 360- degree image and the interactive photo below. Click on the icons to learn about how the kitchen used to look. Think about how people cooked 300 years ago. How has cooking changed over time?
Note to Teachers: You may have students complete the corresponding worksheet. Google Doc worksheet is linked below to add to your Google Classroom.
Kitchen Dependency 360-degree image
Related Videos
Historic Kitchens vs. Modern Kitchens
The Man Who Relives Slave History Through Food
Food of the Enslaved: Okra Soup
George Washington's Enslaved Chef: Hercules
Urban Slavery at the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters