Staunton, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Garden
Four-Square Garden
The four-square kitchen garden was a common feature on German farms in the region. The gardens were located close to the house for convenient access to fresh produce. Herbs for flavoring foods and medicinal purposes were planted along the edge. Fences kept free-roaming livestock and wildlife out.
From Garden to Table
The women of a given household maintained the kitchen gardens. They grew produce such as carrots, beets, kohlrabi, chard, cabbage, squash, and strawberries to use throughout the year. What they did not consume in-season, they preserved for winter by drying, pickling, and making jams and jellies.
[Sidebar:]
Cabbage All vegetables of this species should be carefully examined and washed cut in two and placed in cold water awhile with a little common salt thrown into it It is said that this will draw out the worms or insects and that they will sink to the bottom so that greens or cabbages may be made free from anything of the kind.
The Skillful Housewife's Book
(1853)
[Caption:]
Frontispiece from Mrs. Lydia Abell's "The Skillful Housewife's Book" (1853) Credit: Smithsonian Libraries
Erected by
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Horticulture & Forestry • Settlements & Settlers • Women.
Location. 38° 7.624′ N, 79° 2.638′ W. Marker is in Staunton, Virginia. It can be reached from Frontier Drive north of Barterbrook Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1274 Richmond Rd, Staunton VA 24401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. 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 walking distance of this marker: Main House (within shouting distance of this marker); Root Cellar (within shouting distance of this marker); Meat House (within shouting distance of this marker); Springhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Appalachian Virginia, 1850s (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Appalachian Virginia, 1850s (within shouting distance of this marker); Valley of Virginia, 1850s (within shouting distance of this marker); Schoolhouse, 1840s (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Staunton.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 1, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
