Near Berlin in Worcester County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Rackliffe Plantation Milk House

Photographed By Shane Oliver, August 27, 2015

1. Rackliffe Plantation Milk House Marker

Inscription. Dairies (or milk houses, as they were more commonly called in the Mid-Atlantic region) were one-room structures constructed two to three feet below grade for coolness. They had brick or stone floors and plastered or whitewashed ceilings and interior walls. They featured long horizontal openings, placed high up under wide eaves. These louvered "windows" allowed for cross-ventilation for passive cooling and wires or shutters could be used to open or close them as the sun moved during the day. Mid-Atlantic dairies had linen, cheesecloth, or gauze screens to keep out insects.

Female servants or slaves made butter and soft cheese for the plantation in this outbuilding. The structure dates to about 1800.

The restoration and furnishing of the milk house was made possible by the Humphreys Foundation, Inc. and the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Colonial Era • Women.

Location. 38° 14.757′ N, 75° 9.637′ W. Marker is near Berlin, Maryland, in Worcester County. Marker can be reached from Tom Patton Lane. Marker is located in front of the restored milk house on the grounds of the Rackliffe House. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 11700 Tom Patton Lane, Berlin MD 21811, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Caring for the Bay (approx. 0.3 miles away); You're looking out over… A Productive Nursery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Sheltered Waters (approx. 0.3 miles away); Berlin / Snow Hill / Wallops Flight Facility / Chincoteague (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Wild Ponies (approx. 0.4 miles away); Treasures from the Past (approx. 0.4 miles away); Beach to Bay Indian Trail (approx. 0.4 miles away); Verrazano Bridge (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Berlin.

More about this marker. There are two ways to access the Rackliffe House. You can either use the gravel access road and park in the grass in front of the house or you can take the scenic 1/2 mile trail to the house that starts at the Barrier Island Visitor Center.

View of the Rackliffe House and Grounds image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Shane Oliver, August 27, 2015

2. View of the Rackliffe House and Grounds

The milk house, which is the small brick structure in the foreground, is the only surviving building on the property along with the main house.

Interior of the restored Milk House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Shane Oliver, August 27, 2015

3. Interior of the restored Milk House

Rackliffe House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Shane Oliver, August 27, 2015

4. Rackliffe House

Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2015, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 512 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 7, 2015, by Shane Oliver of Richmond, Virginia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.