White Haven's Outbuildings Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site - St. Louis MO - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

TEXT on the Historical Marker:

White Haven's Outbuildings
Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site

Operating this 850-acre farm required numerous outbuildings. These included a spring house built over the spring to provide a cool place for crocks of butter and cheese; a barn behind the main house for livestock such as cows, pigs, and sheep; and a lime kiln built along Gravois Creek to fertilize the pastures. The remaining two buildings before you serve as reminders of the work necessary to operate a self-sufficient farm.
Ice House
Preservation of perishable foods required construction of an ice house. Thick stone walls built into the side of the hill provided insulation and drainage, while a steep pitched roof with a louvered cupola vented out warm air. Large blocks of ice were cut from rivers and ponds in the winter and transported to the ice house. One room was packed solid with ice blocks layered with sawdust for additional insulation. Foods placed in the rooms were thereby preserved through mid-summer.

Chicken House
Chickens and eggs were an important source of food and income for White Haven's residents. Caring for chickens was usually the responsibility of women. Enslaved cook Mary Robinson had Grant's dog Leo help her catch chickens for dinners. Julia raised several special breeds as pets and later the caretaker's wife Sarah and her daughters earned about $400 a year selling chickens and eggs. The chicken house was moved to its present location by 1913.
Most farms kept at least fifty chickens on a half acre to produce enough eggs for family use and sale.

Group that erected the marker: National Park Service URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 7400 Grant Road St. Louis, MO United States 63123

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Date Logged Log   09/22/2022 Don.Morfe visited it