Root Cellars

Before central heat and refrigeration, root cellars were important for food storage and preservation. Some people were able to have basements under the house, but others would construct a root cellar nearby. This small, dug-out storage area would help keep the foodstuff cooler during the warmer months and from freezing in the winter. It also helped keep them safe from pests.

In mountainous or hilly areas, the property owner would dig a small room out of the side of an incline, and add a door. In flatter areas, a hole would be dug out of the ground, and a door and steps added. The dirt would serve as insulation, and homemakers might also wrap the goods in old, worn-out quilts or other covers to help. In a few places, a rock or brick structure might be built above-ground.

Items kept in the root cellar might include things like apples, cabbage, kraut, pickles, potatoes, carrots, onions cider, etc. With the invention of new processes and methods, like home canning, roots cellars weren't as vital, and they began to decline. In fact, some of the ones dug in the ground close to the house were converted into storage for coal, when it became a popular fuel.

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