Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

In General

No oven was provided in this kitchen (c.1710-1720) when it was reconstructed in 1930 because archaeological evidence for its original existence therein was inconclusive. No other location could be identified by archaeology as the site of an oven.

The foundations which were excavated on the site of the kitchen did not preclude the possibility of an oven having once existed therein.

Only one documentary reference to an oven was found, the date of which was 1779 and it is an item in Humphry Harwood's ledger which simply records repairing oven for Palace.

The interpretation of the kitchen was handicapped by the absence of baking facilities and in 1954 the Administrative Officers directed Research and Architecture to make a further study of baking at the Palace and offer recommendations. This study resulted in the recommendation that an oven similar to that reconstructed in the south room of Raleigh Tavern Kitchen be built; the work was accomplished in 1955.

1. Research Notes. Humphry Harwood Ledger. Sept. 17, 1779 "To 2 Bushels of lime 16/ . E 1/2 a days labour 10/ E Repg Oven 30/. for Palace. . . . £ 2:16:0."

Research

The Director of Research, Mr. E. M. Riley, reported by memorandum dated March 11, 1955 to Messrs. Campioli that the only specific reference to an oven at the Palace which has been found is the one noted above. His memorandum recites a number of references to ovens in Williamsburg from 1776 to 1788. The references give no positive indication of the design or exact location of the ovens mentioned (see Appendix No. I for transcript of RR memo)

Architectural Investigation

The Oxford English Dictionary defines an oven as a "a chamber or receptacle of brick, stonework, or iron, for baking bread and cooking food by continuous heat radiated from the walls, roof, or floor." The same defines oven-bird as "a, name given to various birds which build a domed or oven-shaped nest."

A History of Everyday Things in England 1733-1851 by Marjorie Quennell, shows the following as figure 21 with this text: "The eighteenth-century baking was done in the brick oven. This came on the side of the open fire, so that the smoke from the oven when it was lighted could escape up the main chimney."

"The oven itself was circular in plan, and domed over in brick. A bundle of faggots was put inside the oven and lighted with hot ashes. When these had burned themselves out the hot ashes were raked on one side, and into the oven went the bread and all the pies and cakes, and the entrance was closed by an iron door and, as there was no chimney from the oven, or escape for the imprisoned heat, except through this doorway, the cooking was done. COLONIAL EXTERIORS, SECOND SERIES 2 It was really exactly the same principle as the cooking hole outside the huts in the New Stone Age, where, after the fire had burnt itself out, the food was cooked by turves heaped over the hole."

Old English Household Life, by Gertrude Jekyll illustrates an over by figures 91 and 92 described as follows: "Here also was the brick oven for baking bread; it showed on the outside as a semi-circular projection with a rounded top and had its own little roof. The inside was all brick; the floor flat, the sides upright for a few courses, and then arched barrelshape. A faggot of dry brushwood went in, was lighted and by the time it was all burnt and the ashes raked out it would be the right heat for baking. Inside the back kitchen the top of the oven was stepped back in brickwork, corresponding with the rounded back outside. The mouth of the oven showed as a flat arch with a door of sheet iron with two handles that moved right out."

In the Memorandum of Several Faults in The Building of William and Mary¹ in 1704 there is recorded, ". . . The ovens were made within the kitchen but when they were heated the smoke was so offensive that it was found necessary to pull them down and build others out of doors. . ."

The original brick kitchen at Tuckahoe circa 1725 has an oven on the left side of the large fireplace with no flue to the chimney and the original kitchen at Westover circa 1726 has a similar oven on the right².

An investigation of the original brickwork in the Carter-Saunders brick quarter (c. 1751) indicated two ovens, one on either side of the large fireplace, one of which seemed to have a flue connection to the main chimney.

The reconstructed old kitchen at the St. George Tucker house (c. 1788) was equipped with an oven without a flue similar to the one at Tuckahoe because the owner, Mr. George Coleman, recalled such an arrangement having previously existed and the archaeological evidence confirmed his memory.

Oven Designs

The Palace Kitchen oven is located to the left of the fireplace and is domed, not unlike half a walnut shell in shape. It has an iron door at its only opening which is on the fireplace face. Like those at Tuckahoe and Westover it has no flue, smoke must be drawn up the fireplace chimney (which exerts a tremendous draft) or must seep out through the doors and windows.

This type of oven should be used as described above, i.e., by burning therein a wood fire until the desired temperature has been reached, then removing the ashes. The smoke must find its way up the main chimney or out through doors, windows and cracks as best it can.

WESTOVER CHARLES CITY COUNTY VA

The location on the left side of the fireplace was determined by the original foundations which place the fireplace off center of the room and leave a proper amount of space for an oven to the left.

The oven door was placed in the fireplace breast facing into the room following the precedent of Tuckahoe and Westover which are of about the same date.

The question of smoke abatement and disposition was considered and it was thought that in the 18th century designers had not yet considered the comfort of the cooks sufficiently important to provide positive means for removing the smoke. This belief is substantiated by the research notes cited above and the fact that while many oven doors open into fireplaces in the northern colonies none have been found in Virginia.

The following from Cottage Economy, by William Cobbett, London 1828 is quoted as of interest:

"104. In the mean while the oven is to be heated; and this is much more than half the art of the operation. When an oven is properly heated, can be known only by actual observation. Women who understand the matter, know when the heat is right the moment they put their faces within a yard of the ovenmouth; and once or twice observing is enough for any person of common capacity. But this much may be said in the way of rule: that the fuel (I am supposing a brick oven) should be dry (not rotten) wood, and not mere brush-wood, but rather fagot-sticks. If larger wood, it ought to be split up into sticks not more than two, or two and a half inches through. Brushwood that is strong, not green and not too old, if it be hard in its nature and has some sticks in it, may do. The woody parts of furze, or ling, will heat an oven very well. But, the thing is, to have a lively and yet somewhat strong fire; so that the oven may be heated in about 15 minutes, and retain its heat sufficiently long.

"105. The oven should be hot by the time that the dough, as mentioned in paragraph 103, has remained in the lump about 20 minutes. When both are ready, take out the fire, and wipe the oven out clean, and, at nearly about the same moment, take the dough out upon the lid of the baking trough, or some proper place, cut it up into pieces, and make it up into loaves, kneading it again into these seperate parcels; and, as you go on, shaking a little flour over your board, to prevent the dough from adhering to it. The loaves should be put into the oven as quickly as possible after they are formed; when in, the oven-lid, or door, should be fastened up very closely; and, if all be properly managed, loaves of about the size of quartern loaves, will be sufficiently baked in about two hours. But they usually take down the lid, and look at the bread, in order to see how it is going on.

"106. And, what is there, worthy of the name of plague, or trouble, in all this? Here is no dirt, no filth, no rubbish, no litter, no slop. And, pray, 4 what can be pleasanter to behold? Talk, indeed, of your pantomimes and gaudy shows; your processions and installations and coronations! Give me, for a beautiful sight, a neat and smart woman, heating her oven and setting in her bread! And, if the bustle does make the sign of labour glisten on her brow, where is the man that would not kiss that off, rather than lick the plaster from the cheek of a duchess?"