Smithfield in Isle of Wight County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Smokehouse
19th Century
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 6, 2021
1. Smokehouse Marker
Inscription.
Smokehouse. 19th Century. , Pigs arrived in Virginia with the first English colonists and thrived in the warm, humid climate. Traditionally, the English used salt to preserve their pork, but the resulting meat was no match for the hot summers in Virginia. The colonists observed the Virginia Indians smoking game in their longhouses and subsequently combined both methods , salt and smoke , to create the forerunner of the country ham that we know today.
Cured pork has been exported from this area since the 17th century, and many farmers raised hogs for market.
The smokehouse was an important building on the farm. It not only preserved meat, but it was also the storage location. Smokehouses like this were locked; the farm's owner had the key. This smokehouse held upward of 200 hams.
Pigs arrived in Virginia with the first English colonists and thrived in the warm, humid climate. Traditionally, the English used salt to preserve their pork, but the resulting meat was no match for the hot summers in Virginia. The colonists observed the Virginia Indians smoking game in their longhouses and subsequently combined both methods — salt and smoke — to create the forerunner of the country ham that we know today.
Cured pork has been exported from this area since the 17th century, and many farmers raised hogs for market.
The smokehouse was an important building on the farm. It not only preserved meat, but it was also the storage location. Smokehouses like this were locked; the farm's owner had the key. This smokehouse held upward of 200 hams.
Location. 36° 58.718′ N, 76° 37.436′ W. Marker is in Smithfield, Virginia, in Isle of Wight County. Marker is on Jericho Road, 0.3 miles north of Kayak Lane, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 301 Jericho Rd, Smithfield VA 23430, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), February 6, 2021
2. The Smokehouse
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 174 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 7, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
