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Stationmaster's House
Welcome |
THE KITCHEN Was the kitchen an important room? The kitchen was the heartbeat of the house, the pulse of family life. It was a workspace for household tasks, a gathering area for meals, a learning place for children, and ultimately a gauge of domestic life. In many ways, the kitchen defined and elevated the role of women as homemaker, and yet it also reinforced their place in the unpaid labor force.
Was it the job of Mrs. Zacharias to maintain the kitchen? The 1870 census lists her occupation as homemaker, and that meant the kitchen was her central work area. During this time period, the kitchen was the sphere of women for most families living in town, and it was distinctly different than the world of men. The distinctions between work and family, breadwinning and homemaking, seem so obvious today that many people are surprised to learn that these distinctions are relatively new and make sense only in certain kinds of economies. For example, in subsistence economies, little difference exists between making a home and making a living, for all members of a household labor together to provide necessities. Also, in small-farm agricultural societies and societies of urban crafts-people, the work-place is not entirely distinct from the home. Describing one person as “worker” and one as “homemaker” does not make sense when most of the goods required in the home are produced there. Many historians note that prior to the advent of industrial capitalism, few men or women worked outside the home. However, that social structure for the middle class had changed in Mechanicsburg by the time the Zacharias family moved into the Stationmaster’s House. Jobs outside the home provided opportunities primarily for men, mainly because these jobs, as they were created, had been regarded as masculine, and they were valued as paying jobs. Women’s domestic sphere of labor in the home did not receive a wage, so it could not be assigned monetary value. As men and women did different work, the value of their work differed. Thus, the Victorian emphasis that flourished in America throughout the mid to late 1800’s placed great value on the homemaking skills of women. Mrs. Zacharias prided her abilities to maintain the kitchen.
Did Mrs. Zacharias organize the kitchen? Her organizational methods displayed her homemaking skills. However, kitchens were not the bright and airy spaces we see today. At the Stationmaster’s House, the emphasis was on efficiency rather than appearance. That is part of the reason kitchens were built in the back of the house. They were not intended as a showpiece. Yet the kitchen was tidy and clean, and Victorian culture provided numerous resources and books to assist the homemaker with her kitchen organization. Mrs. Zacharias was probably familiar with a book that is still referenced today. In 1869 Catherine Beecher, in collaboration with her sister Harriet Beecher Stowe, published The American Woman's Home. This book contained detailed diagrams of what was considered the then modern kitchen, and it included a counter with storage beneath and shelves above. Numerous technological developments were aimed at time saving measures to help improve a woman’s solo efforts in the kitchen. Various manufacturers rushed to develop helpmates for women. Did she keep a weekly schedule? Mrs. Zacharias was an effective homemaker, and so she adhered to well-thought schedules that typified the routines of other homemakers. For instance, Monday was reserved for wash day, an arduous process, so only light meals were served. Then another day was designated for ironing At least two days were spent going to market, and in Cumberland County that day was often Tuesday and Saturday. While tending to these matters, Mrs. Zacharias needed to prepare and serve meals, and clean, as well.
Were there challenges for baking? Maintaining consistency of heat would prove a challenge, as well as demanding a level of artistry. Mrs. Zacharias probably timed her baking, so the rumble of trains would not thwart the rising process. Undoubtedly her stove shook as trains moved in and out of the station. Please note the dough tray. Wooden bowls or dough trays were used to catch corn meal or flour as it was ground. Mrs. Zacharias probably bought her flour since at this time period, industrial agriculture made flour easy to purchase. Also, she would have bought most of her bread, and days-old, hard bread, what we call stale, was often preferred.
Was the room used for matters other than cooking and eating? The kitchen was the center of the house. When the weather was bad, the kitchen became a washing room for laundry; otherwise, she washed outside. She did not have a washing machine, and so she used a washboard in a large tub. On poor weather days, she also had to dry items inside. Thus, she undoubtedly hoped for good weather on wash day. Of course, back then, people didn’t launder as many clothing items as people wash today; still, the task took hours, and was hard on her back and rough for her hands. Another day was devoted to ironing. Then she had to warm irons on the stove and pressed linen items, as well as the shirts, collars, and sleeves of the business attire worn by Mr. Zacharias. Mrs. Zacharias used the interchangeable irons and handles for various items of clothing; moreover, the interchangeable pieces allowed one to warm while she pressed with another. Why was a day reserved for Wash Day? A specific wash day helped to streamline the housekeeping process. Maybe you have heard the expression of “Blue Monday” which refers to wash day. A special “blue bag” cleaning agent, or blueing, was used to brighten the whites. Mrs. Zacharias added a blue bag to the wash tub; and then after soaking the clothes and linens, she scrubbed them against the washboard. Then process was followed with a rinse. Washing was a time-consuming and laborious task for Mrs. Zacharias. Where did the Zacharias family get their food? Mr. and Mrs. Zacharias, accustomed to town life, bought their food at the Market House on designated shopping days. The Market House was the site of Franklin Hall, and the several blocks may not seem like a long walk from the Stationmaster’s House, but when burdened with food items, the distance surely became tiresome. However, shopping excursions also allowed for social interaction. Mrs. Zacharias probably enjoyed chatting and catching up on news. The specific shopping days required Mrs. Zacharias to plan ahead for menus. If needed, a few items could be secured from the small shops in between market day.
Did Mrs. Zacharias use a cookbook? Cookbooks had become popular. The newspaper advertized cookbooks, and many women referred to the 1842 book published by Catherine Beecher, Treatise on Domestic Economy which included many recipes and useful techniques for cooking. Women felt enthusiastic about learning and sharing recipes, and the cookbooks brought a kind of scientific methodology to the process. Did Mrs. Zacharias have any special recipes? She made a chocolate cake that townspeople enjoyed. The MMA has the recipe in a cookbook. Were bugs and rodents a problem? Vermin posed a constant threat; thus, the effective homemaker had to wage outright assault against them. Sweeping, floor scrubbing, table washing, and careful food storage helped to ward off the unwelcome invaders. Mouse and rat traps would have been set in the cellar, and Frank may have been given the job of checking and emptying the traps. Mouse traps had to be placed in different places on a daily basis, so the rodents would not detect a pattern. How did Mrs. Zacharias clean the kitchen floor? Mrs. Zacharias swept on a regular basis, but when it came time for a thorough scrubbing, she did not mop or use a swifter as we might today. Instead she got on her hands and knees and used a scrub brush, dipping into one basin of soapy water and another for rinse water. The process was physically daunting and tedious. Did Mrs. Zacharias feel exhausted by the end of the day? Certainly she was tired. However, she viewed her cooking and housekeeping duties as part of the role of homemaking. Her part helped to make the home run smoothly, and so she prided herself on her many accomplishments. Her role in the kitchen was key to making a productive family, and in particular, the Stationmaster was able to complete his tasks due to her homemaking skills. |
How does the room seem different from a kitchen of today? As you look
around the kitchen, you will notice the absence of many modern
conveniences that many people take for granted: refrigerator, microwave,
sink with plumbing, computerized dishwasher, convection oven, electric
lights, automatic coffeemaker, and food processor. In the kitchen of the
Stationmaster’s House, you will focus on the large stove, wooden table,
dry sink, and unusual looking kitchen tools.
Did the kitchen have special features since the Stationmaster’s House
was newly built? The closet was a new feature, for few homes were built
with closets, and Mrs. Zacharias undoubtedly valued the area for
storage. Also, the cook stove helped to ease the burden of cooking over
a fire, the method of cooking, that until the time of the Civil War and
the Victorian era, many women had to endure. The stove changed cooking
procedures and meal planning while relieving the cook of backbreaking
chores such as lifting and moving heavy iron cookware from the fire
area. With the broad stove base, and multiple cooking features, Mrs.
Zacharias could remain standing rather than bending over a fire, and so
she was able to manage several tasks with some degree of comfort and
dignity.
Was it difficult to cook on the stove? Today, we might find it a
challenge, but Mrs. Zacharias was undoubtedly efficient at the
multi-task procedures. While this is not the original stove, it is dated
1870 and came from Sunbury, so she used a similar piece of equipment.
Each morning she began her day by tending to the stove. If necessary,
she cleaned and lit the stove. Please note the matchbox. The SS matchbox
is a promotional item from a local store c. 1890. This stove burns wood
or coal, and most likely she used coal. She had to carefully manage the
dampers. If Mrs. Zacharias was scrupulous with her technique, one
ordinary-sized coal-hod of anthracite coal would supply fuel for
twenty-four hours. According to the American Women’s Home 1869, that
amount of coal would “keep the stove running, keep seventeen gallons of
water hot at all hours, bake pies and puddings in the warm closet, heat
flat-irons under the back cover, boil tea-kettle and one pot under the
front cover, bake bread in the oven, and cook a turkey in the tin
roaster in front." Please note the mush pot in the kitchen. Today we use
stew pots and crockpots for similar slow-cooking methods.
How did she wash dishes? She worked at the dry sink. However, it was not
really “dry” as the name implies. The dry sink was a type of basin used
for basic wash functions, but it was not connected with a plumbing
system. Used extensively in the days before indoor plumbing, dry sinks
were considered valuable kitchen accessories. While considered to be
more of a decorative accessory today, it is still possible to purchase a
dry sink that is fully functional. Please note how the dry sink has most
of its original grain painting, and it shows areas worn by use. When
Mrs. Zacharias used the sink, water had to be carried into the house.
When she needed hot water, she had to warm it on the stove. Thus she
would use water sparingly. If you have gone camping, you know how to
adapt washing methods owing to a limited supply of accessible water. As
the children grew older and stronger, they may have been given the task
of getting water.
Where did they keep their food? Food was kept in the closet and cellar.
Since they lived in the days before refrigeration, Mrs. Zacharias bought
seasonally, and thus had to dry, salt, or can items. Women were taught
to make stoppers for bottles, so they were used as well. The cool cellar
was ideal for potato and vegetable bins, as well as for hanging salted
or cured meats.|
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