The horizontal blank boards used to make the forms are noticeable. This is the front entrance to root cellar. Various cement companies encouraged this by provided booklets with detailed plans for constructing these buildings. It was quickly adapted for use in constructing farm buildings and work well for root cellar construction. In the early 20th century, reinforced concrete was the new “high-tech” building material of its time. This root cellar has a earthen floor to help maintain the high humidity level, ventilation shafts to regulate temperature and vent gases from the crops which could cause early spoilage, and light shafts which were later superceded by the installation of electric lighting. To preserves these crops it was necessary to maintain an internal temperature between 35 and 40 degrees and humidity level between 90 and 95%. Root cellars were used to preserve farm crops for long periods of time. Of particular interest is a well preserved root cellar. The former Maudslay Estate, now a state park, contains a number of 19th and early 20th century buildings relating farming on the estate. For more indepth information please consult the new book Root Cellars in America.ġ843 Brick Arch Root Cellar, New London, CTġ9th Century Root Cellar / House Foundation Combinationġ911 Plans for Root Cellar, Town of Kent, Putnam County, New Yorkġ918 Concrete Root Cellar - Maudslay Estate, Newburyport, MA
In the past decade there has become renewed interest in root cellars. Root cellars became largely obsolete with the introduction of modern refrigeration and switch to feeding livestock with corn and other grains along with silage stored in silos. By the mid-1800’s, root cellars became a means to store crops destined for the markets until mid-winter or later when much higher prices could be commanded. The vegetables provided critical vitamins and other nutrition necessary to keep up milk production, fatten cattle, and improve the live birth rate of sheep in the early spring. These crops were used for human consumption but more importantly to feed dairy cows, beef cattle, and sheep. Root Cellars have been used since the 18th century to store turnips, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, potatoes, and other crops through the cold winter months.
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