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.

This dry-laid stone root cellar is in Mercer County, Kentucky.

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.

The brick and stone domed interior of a root cellar in Nelson County, Kentucky.

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.

Root cellar with a narrow, frame covered entryway covering the steps. Bath County, Kentucky.

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.

A concrete block root cellar in Morgan County, Kentucky.

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.

Stone root cellar in Franklin County, Kentucky.

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.

A root cellar in Livingston County, Kentucky.

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.

Stone slab shelves inside a Mercer County, Kentucky, root cellar.

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.

A wonderful array of homemade canned goods inside a root cellar!

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.

A warmhouse in Morgan County, Kentucky.

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.

A warmhouse in Knox County, Kentucky.

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.

A warmhouse with living space on the upper level. Wayne County, West Virginia.

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.

Root cellar with ventilator on top, Nelson County, Kentucky.

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!