Modern Kitchen

The modern kitchen used a cast-iron stove instead of a fireplace.

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Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

There are three kitchens at White Haven: A summer kitchen detached from the building, a winter kitchen below the sitting room, and the room you’re in now, the “modern” kitchen. This room was not constructed until after the Civil War. Shortly after the war, Grant purchased several hundred acres of the White Haven estate from the Dent family. Grant would own the home through the early 1880s. During this time, Grant hired several caretakers to maintain the property. This included William Elrod, whose wife Sarah cooked in this kitchen. Grant had a cast-iron stove installed, like the one seen in the room. This type of stove was considered modern and popular in the years following the war.

Although the kitchen was an improvement over the previous two kitchens, there wasn’t indoor plumbing in the house during Grant’s ownership. Instead, outside the kitchen window is a cistern. The main difference between a well and a cistern is the way you get water. A well draws water from underground, while a cistern collects rainwater. There was also a small spring on the property, but it has since dried up and disappeared. 

Tags: ulysses s grant national historic site, ulsg