Near Ararat in Patrick County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

The Stuart Kitchen

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

1. The Stuart Kitchen Marker

Inscription. On this site, stood the outbuilding that served as the kitchen for the Stuart family. As was the custom in those days kitchens were housed in buildings separate from the main dwelling for protection against a fire that might erupt as a result of cooking. Ironically, the fire that destroyed the Stuart home at Laurel Hill was not the result of a kitchen fire. After the fire that destroyed the Laurel Hill home in the winter of 1847-48, members of the Stuart household were forced to seek accommodations elsewhere. In a letter dated March 25, 1848 from Wytheville, Virginia, J. E. B. Stuart writes to his cousin Alexander Stuart Brown that "I went to Patrick County and stayed there until that sad disaster of having our house burnt (which I expect you have heard of) happened." In that same letter he writes that his mother and his youngest sister, Victoria, have gone to Floyd County to spend the summer, and another sister, Columbia, has gone to Pittsylvania County. Further, he writes "John Stuart (his older brother) stayed with Dr. Headen studying medicine until our house was burnt and then came home and he and Pa are now keeping

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house in the kitchen." It is unclear how long John Dabney Stuart and his father Archibald used this kitchen as their domicile, however the Stuarts remained at Laurel Hill until 1859.

This sign is a gift of
Nicholas K. & Janice Epperson of Ararat, VA
In Memory of Nathaniel Davis Hill C.S.A &
Nicholas D. Epperson, June 29, 1862, C.S.A.

Erected 1999 by J.E.B. Stuart Birthplace Preservation Trust, Inc.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.

Location. 36° 33.83′ N, 80° 33.2′ W. Marker is near Ararat, Virginia, in Patrick County. It can be reached from Ararat Highway (Virginia Route 773). Located on the grounds of the Jeb Stuart Birthplace (Laurel Hill). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1091 Ararat Hwy, Ararat VA 24053, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southern Virginia

and in the Blue Ridge Highlands.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Southern

Typical Detached Kitchen image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

2. Typical Detached Kitchen

Appalachia. Globally, it is in 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: Mountain Road (a few steps from this marker); Beaver Dam Station (a few steps from this marker); The Battle of Yellow Tavern (a few steps from this marker); May 1864, Union Overload Campaign (a few steps from this marker); The Death of Col. Henry Clay Pate (a few steps from this marker); Confederate and Union Calvary (a few steps from this marker); The Wounding of Jeb Stuart (a few steps from this marker); Jeb Stuart (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ararat.

Photographed by Michael C. Wilcox, April 21, 2012

3. The Stuart Kitchen Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 21, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 462 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 21, 2016, by Michael C. Wilcox of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.