Thomas Sappington Summer Kitchen

Introduction

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It was suspected for years by the Sappington House Foundation that the current kitchen at Sappington House was not the only kitchen the Sappington's used. Archaeological digs during 2016 through 2019 confirmed this suspicion when they uncovered proof of the Summer Kitchen off to the left side of the house close to the current kitchen.

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Backstory and Context

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Originally a separate Summer Kitchen would have been used by enslaved persons to prepare food for the Sappingtons during the warmer months. By 1820 a kitchen was built attached to the house around 1820 and the Summer Kitchen was no longer used.

Archaeological digs performed by students during 2015 through 2019 confirmed this suspicion when they uncovered proof of the Summer Kitchen and cistern off to the left side of the house close to the current kitchen just past the cottage. An estimated 2,000 artifacts including various broken pottery shards indicate that this area was used for culinary purposes. Additionally, various animal bones, mostly pig, were also found.

A few other artifacts were also uncovered, including Native American arrowhead points.

Sources

ONeal, T. (2021, February). Sappington Family Cemetery [Photograph]. St. Louis.

The Thomas Sappington house museum. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2021, from https://historicsappingtonhouse.org/

Image Sources(Click to expand)