My Family And An Edwardian Kitchen

This Old House kitchen

The Downton Abbey kitchen is not the only place to see the Edwardian style.  Did you know a popular design style in kitchens today is Edwardian? When you see old school pendant lights or funnel industrial style pendants it is mimicking the Edwardian period. A simple trim is usually incorporated into the design.  My family's farm had Edwardian appliances in the kitchen.

The husband of the couple who live in the house above grew up with an AVG oven.  The one pictured above is in the style of the old wood burning stoves like the stove below that was used in the Edwardian period.  You can't see it there is an old wood box under the stove filled with split wood.

My great aunt never married and lived on the family farm in West Virginia with her widowed mother, divorced sister, child and unmarried brother the other children had married and left home.  They supplied eggs to the Greenbrier Resort during the Great Depression. 

My great aunt's sister worked in the doctors clinic at the resort where millionaires would come for a checkup along with some R&R. My great aunt's job supplied most of the income during those years for the family, my great uncle also worked the dairy farm but it didn't provide enough income for the family.

The Family Farm is now a B&B, The Old Stone Manse, Caldwell WVA

The stone and wood plank house was built in the early 1800's, my great grandmother arrived there on horseback at the turn of the century as a bride, my sister inherited her ladies side saddle from that trip.  The house was never renovated except for electricity and running water.  When you walked on the floors the wide planks would creak.    

My great grandfather was a clerk of the court and died before the birth of his last child.  My great grandmother never married again and raised my great aunts and uncle on her own.  Three of the children received a college education.  My great uncle and aunt stayed to work the farm.

The stove in the kitchen was an old black cast iron wood burning stove.  The stove above looks fancier than what my great aunt had.  It was the same stove that cooked the food my father ate when he would go for long visits as a boy in the summer during the 1920's and 30's. 

Root vegetables my great-grandmother would keep in the cellar

  

My father joined the Navy during WWII and became a pilot in the Pacific theater.  He made a "visit" to the farm flying his plane under the telephone wires to show off, scaring my great-grandmother but she enjoyed it just the same.  That's how she was a good sport and fun loving.  I think she's one of the reasons Dad loved the farm so much and what child wouldn't love to be on a farm.

Dad mentioned things that happened while visiting, the sheep that died and was burned in the field (apparently they are not buried).  He said he didn't like the smell (it was a mature sheep) and didn't want to eat mutton afterwards.  Stepping in what looked like a solid cow "pie" and sinking down until it covered his ankle and part of his leg!

My father eventually married and brought his family to visit at the farm.  We would stay overnight since it was a days drive from out home in Northern VA.  I wasn't used to old houses with high ceilings having always lived in a new house in suburbia.  At night I would be so scared I would pull the covers over my head be hot all night and never sleep or at least it seemed that way. I was always relieved for the morning and light!
  
Dad is gone now and I wish I had asked him exactly what he did all day at the farm.  I would like to have known more of his routine and his interaction with the family. 
  
Now I would love to stay and walk the mountain behind the house, check out all the rooms and old furniture.  The old milking barn and furniture is gone now, probably the old stove too although it may still be there.  The long front porch running almost the length of the house is gone but that probably wasn't there in the beginning, it looks much better without it.  

The present owners who bought the house from my family made it into a Bed and Breakfast and did a wonderful renovation. My father has since stayed at the house and loved how things looked.

There is usually a mist that comes off the Greenbrier River, you can see it in the picture.  In the early morning it is almost like thick pea soup, you can't see a foot in front of you, at night when it is clear you can see every star in the sky!


Suzanne Powers Art Gallery: http://suzanne-powers.artistwebsites.com