North Kitchen (1801-1817)

Originally constructed in the First Retirement period, presumably to cater towards James and Dolley’s household just as the detached South Kitchen served that of his parents, the construction of the wings onto the mansion necessitated moving the kitchen further to the north.  The archaeological assemblage recovered from the excavations of the kitchen indicate that the North Kitchen and the north cellar kitchen—“Dolley’s Kitchen”—were used throughout the Retirement Years.

The North Kitchen site was one of the few archaeological sites that was severely impacted by the duPont alterations to the mansion.  Much of the archaeological evidence was disturbed by numerous utility pipe trenches laid through the area, with the result of this making it difficult to interpret the site.  What is clear, however, is that the North Kitchen survived until the late-19th century before it was razed by Montpelier’s subsequent owners.
 

Excavations at the North Kitchen site, 2009. Here the remains of the Madison-era kitchen can be seen as stone pier-bases peaking out frmo the brick foundation of the duPont kitchen.