Surry in Surry County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Smokehouse

Bacon’s Castle, circa 1665

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

1. The Smokehouse Marker

Inscription. The smokehouse, built in the 1820s, has remained relatively unaltered. This structure would have been used to preserve meats for the residents of Bacon's Castle. In 1833, an inventory taken upon the death of resident Richard H. Cocke lists 7,914 pounds of pork stored in the building at Bacon's Castle. Meats would have either been, salted or smoked to stop, the growth of bacteria, a practice that, remained common until the prevalent use of refrigeration. To the left is an example or meat being preserved. Cuts of pork may have been smoked using a small fire built in the center of the dirt floor. Salt-curing is a method of preserving meat that continues to be a well-known agricultural product in Surry County today.

(caption) In the 1844 survey map of Baçon's Castle, shown to the left, the smokehouse has been circled in red. At that time, many of the buildings currently onsite had not yet been constructed. The smokehouse is a remnant of an early phase of outbuilding construction

Erected by Preservation Virginia.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era •

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Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1820.

Location. 37° 6.56′ N, 76° 43.322′ W. Marker is in Surry, Virginia, in Surry County. It can be reached from Bacons Castle Trail half a mile east of Colonial Trail East (U.S. 10), on the left when traveling east. The marker is located on the grounds of Bacon's Castle. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 465 Bacons Castle Trail, Surry VA 23883, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Coastal Virginia

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

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 the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

2. The Smokehouse Marker

crow flies: The Slave & Tenant House (a few steps from this marker); 1701 Barn (within shouting distance of this marker); Hog Island (approx. half a mile away); Bacon’s Castle (approx. half a mile away); Lower Surry Church (approx. ¾ mile away); A Final Resting Place for Six Unknown Colonists (approx. 0.8 miles away); Lawne’s Creek Church (approx. 1.2 miles away); Quiyoughcohannock Indians (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Surry.

Also see . . .
1. Restoration of slave quarter and smokehouse at Bacon’s Castle. (Submitted on December 18, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. Bacon’s Castle. (Submitted on December 18, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Bacon’s Castle image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross

3. Bacon’s Castle

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 18, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 171 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 18, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.