Dairy

In 1832, Eleanor Parke Custis Lewis's housekeeping book instructed, "Prepare your butter for use as in Common and Immerse it in the Liquid and Keep it continually covered and it will keep sweet and good." Milk products were produced and stored here. Hanson, the enslaved cook, required an ample supply of fresh cream and butter in preparing meals for the Lewis family and their many guests. Enslaved people milked cows nearby and poured the liquid into pans, which were then placed on shelves that lined the interior walls. Cream rose and was removed for use or to be churned into butter. The dairy was kept clean and cool, and lattice-covered openings on each side of the structure promoted ventilation. A well next to the kitchen and wash house, along with nearby streams, provided a convenient source of cool, fresh water. Visitors to Woodlawn would have seen and smelled livestock including cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens, and enslaved people were responsible for their care.

Woodlawn, Virginia · United States