Smokehouse
circa 1900
A smokehouse is a small, enclosed building used to preserve and store meat. Commonly located near the kitchen, smokehouses are usually one story with a gabled roof, dirt floor, and no chimneys or windows.
After butchering, meat was heavily salted to draw out moisture and then hung in the smokehouse, where a slow-burning wood or corncob fire would smolder for weeks. Smoke would encase the meat in an airtight creosote coating, preserving it for years. Before consumption, the creosote was cut off and the salt was boiled out of the meat. The use of smokehouses declined after 1930 with advances in refrigeration.
The Mt. Pleasant smokehouse features four arching holes in the cornice. Their true function is unknown, though some speculate the holes attracted nesting birds, while others believed they provided ventilation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Animals. A significant historical year for this entry is 1930.
Location. 39° 18.989′ N, 76° 52.481′ W. Marker is in Woodstock, Maryland, in Howard County. It can be reached from Old Frederick Road (Maryland Route 99) west of
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Privy and Icehouse Foundation (a few steps from this marker); Guinea Fowl Coop (a few steps from this marker); Log Cabin Viewing Window (a few steps from this marker); Mt. Pleasant (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Mt. Pleasant (within shouting distance of this marker); Carriage House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Corn Crib (about 300 feet away); Blacksmith Shop (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Woodstock.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 17, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 272 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 17, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
