Kentucky’s Historic Outbuildings: Root Cellar, Warmhouse, Cellar House

Chances are, last time you needed an onion or potato, or perhaps some canned green beans, you did not head outside and descend into your root cellar. Once a staple of most farms and rural properties, root cellars provided storage year-round for root crops (for both human and livestock consumption) and other fruits and vegetables. Although a root cellar is essentially an excavated space below ground, there are hundreds (thousands?) of variations in size, form, and appearance – and depending on where you hail from, it could be known as a root cellar, a cellar house, or a warmhouse.

There a few generalizations that can be made about root cellars: they are built of masonry (brick, stone, concrete), and in order to property store foodstuffs, the space needed to be dark, cool, humid, and also have good air circulation.

Most 19th century cellars in Kentucky are stone, while concrete root cellars are common in the first few decades of the 20th century. Root cellars can simply be dug out of the side of hill and are identified by an earthen covered arched dome.

In this case, a bulkhead-type door opens directly onto the steps descending in to the cellar. The interior of the hillside root cellar typically has masonry or concrete walls and ceiling and a dirt floor.

I’ve been asked before about standard dimensions – and while I’ve never actually  measured a root cellar, I would venture to say that the space needed to be deep enough to maintain a constant cool temperature, and large enough to accommodate a family’s needs.

Locating  a root cellar against a hillside or bank obviously helped make the digging easier – the amount of excavation required would be less than another site.

The excavated space provided insulation that helped maximize the lifespan of stored foodstuffs. Later modifications fitted some root cellars with shelves for storing canned goods.

Prior to rural electrification and freezing, the root cellar played a major role on the family farm. Vegetables and fruit, including apples, carrots, turnips and potatoes, could be stored for months and would supplement the family’s diet during the winter. Farmers could also use the root cellar to store excess produce intended for commercial sale.

The “cellar house”  or “warmhouse” is a variant on the purely underground root cellar.  These two terms tend to be used in Eastern Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia. This type structure combines a root cellar with dry storage on the upper level.

The lower part of the structure is almost always built into the earth, either of stone or concrete. The upper level is typically frame, and one bay wide with a front gable orientation.

The upper level of a cellar house can be used for many things, including a washhouse, smokehouse or just storage of dry goods. The gable is often cantilevered to provide shelter to the cellar entry beneath.

Many root cellars have ventilating pipes that help divert excess moisture from the space. Root cellars also function as storm cellars for families without excavated basements under their houses.

Whatever name you may call it, the root cellar historically fulfilled an important role on many farms – and if you’re lucky enough to have one, can serve the same purpose now!