Kitchen

Kitchen. Patrick Henry’s Red Hill. The kitchen is similar to what the Henry family had at Red Hill. During the eighteenth century, kitchens were built separate from the main house to reduce heat, odors, smoke, and prevent the main house from burning down in the occurrence of a kitchen fire. The cook at Red Hill was an enslaved woman named Critty, who occupied the attic area of the kitchen with her three children: Jack White, Harrison, and Coleman., Cooking was done over the open fire, as well as on the hearth. Skillets, gridirons, kettles, spits, and Dutch ovens listed on the inventory enabled Critty to fry, boil, roast, broil, and bake food at Red Hill. Pots were hung on the iron crane inside the fireplace. The crane swung into the room to add ingredients, stir food, and remove pots. By raising or lowering the pots using hooks, the cooking temperature could be adjusted. The hearth in front of the fireplace was the primary cooking space. Cast-iron Dutch ovens were used by placing hot embers both under the pot and on top of the lipped lid, which produced an even-heat for baking meats, bread, vegetables, and desserts. Many of the utensils used at Red Hill were made by an enslaved man named Jessee, who was the plantation's blacksmith. Wooden bowls and spoons, along with buckets for holding water, were also made by enslaved workers on the plantation. Seen in the room are clay crocks used for the storage of food and liquids. On the table are "sugar-nippers," which were used to break off pieces of sugar from the sugar cones which were imported from the West Indies., Critty awoke very early to prepare the fire for cooking, Gathering wood and water for use in the kitchen was often the work of enslaved children. Dorothea Henry would meet with Critty to discuss what she wanted to be served regarding meals and would go over the "receipts" (recipes) and dispense any spices, coffee, tea, or sugar needed for cooking. Dinner was the main meal of the day, served around two in the afternoon., Cows, sheep, hogs, and chickens raised on the plantation provided food for the family, as did a fish trap made across the Staunton River. The Henry family and the enslaved people took advantage of wild game, such as deer, rabbit, bear, turkey, and quail that were plentiful on the plantation. Along with com and wheat grown at Red Hill, there was a four-acre kitchen garden that provided fruits, vegetables, nuts, and herbs for cooking. Patrick Henry was said to have taken "no delight in the pleasures of the table" and the food served at Red Hill was similar to his house and furniture-"consisting of necessaries only; nothing for show or ornament."