A Visit to a Historic House-Samuel Parsons House part 2

This is a continuation of yesterday's post, which I originally wrote for another blog.  Hope you enjoy it!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A Visit to a Historic House-Samuel Parsons House part 2

Welcome back!
Are you ready for more in exploring more of the colonial Samuel Parsons house in Wallingford, Connecticut? I hope you liked Part 1.  We are going to take a look at the kitchen today.  Looking in here makes me appreciate the chore of cooking and other kitchen chores we have to deal with today.  Look at the metal arm in there with the pots and kettles hanging on it. This would swing out when adding or checking ingredients, when serving and swing back depending on how close one would want it close to the fire. The big black metal thing at the bottom was a type of oven for roasting and baking that one would put in towards the fire. One would control the temperatures of cooking by how close something was placed to the fire or smaller hot coals were placed under or near what ever was being cooked.
The brass colored metal lollipop shaped item is a bed warmer. Hot coals would be placed in it and it could be placed in between the covers to warm the bed briefly before someone climbed in.  This was usually done for sick people or others who for various reasons would be in

Many different implements which were used with a cooking fireplace. 

more need of it.

This fireplace is where most of the cooking was done.

Unusual to have a window like this in the pantry

To the left of the fireplace is a door to the pantry (which you can part of to the left of the fireplace). In this particular pantry are several shelves. For museum purposes they store lots of china, utensils, kitchen tools and other items. They are not necessarily to the period of the house. What is unique about the pantry is that there is also a window in it built in behind the chimney of the kitchen fireplace. The staff have no idea of why that may be. Perhaps you can offer some of your thoughts in the comments section below.  What is nice is that it offers light to make it easier to see in the pantry.

Now what about your coffee? Can't whip out the percolator or the drip coffee maker. Want the Kreurig coffee and tea maker with the pods. No can do.  Do you have an electric coffee bean grinder so you can have the freshest coffee possible? Well as luxurious as that sounds to some people, fresh ground coffee was the only way you could get it in the days before electricity.


But you had to do it by hand!

On the table against the wall are two examples of coffee grinders.

 

And one more thought on household chores, there were no vacuum cleaners or steam cleaners.  Instead one would bring a rug outside, hang it up and beat it with the contraption below called a rug beater. I would hate to be near one of those with my allergies.The rugbeater

Close-up of Coffee Grinder, No Starbucks here!

Now on a terrible note of humor, please don't get upset with me if  I say "Beat it!".  People often tell me the reason they laugh at my jokes is because they are so bad.
On a more serious note, I really want to thank you for joining me! I do hope you enjoyed this bit of a trip back in history!
Please come back for the further continuation of this short series of posts on the tour of the Samuel Parsons house. Please share with me what you think.  The cost for getting in to tour this particular house is nothing. It is based on a donation of what you wish to make. They also have some publications and a few small items for sale inside. All the monies go toward the Wallingford Historical Society and for maintenance of the house.
Link to a picture of the house

I hope that you have a wonderful day and that this tour was enjoyable. Check back for the continuation of this series. Please share your comments in the comment section and share this with a friend!

 And you can find Up with Downtown Wallingford at:

 You can find our website at: http://www.upwithdowntown.org//

We are also on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/upwithdowntownwallingford?ref=hl