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Cooking
over a fireplace or the wood-burning stoves of yesteryear
caused homes to become extremely hot during the warmer months, so it
was common for meals to be prepared in what folks called a "summer
kitchen." Sometimes the summer kitchen consisted of small building
detached from the main house. In other instances, it was attached
to the house but situated so as not to overheat it.
Nowadays,
the summer kitchen has disappeared from most parts of the
country, done in by modern ranges, air conditioning, and backyard
grills. The question is, are there any survivors in McLean County?
Perhaps
you know of an existing summer kitchen or a structure that was
once a summer kitchen. Perhaps you could share your recollections about
a summer kitchen that you were personally familiar with, even though it
may no longer exist. We need to know more about summer kitchens and the
cooking and other activities that went on in them.
Robert Dirks
Guest Curator
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