Using a giant cauldron for boiling water in an oversized hearth was old-school equipment. Early-adopters in the 18th century worked on kitchen technology at Cedar Grove in Fairmount Park, Pennsylvania.
Cedar Grove farmhouse
In this historic house, the owners experimented with prototypes of cutting-edge gadgets to make life easier in the kitchen. Next to the hearth is a rotisserie bake-oven that draws heat from the fire, and below is an early hot-water heater. Old and new technology are together in the same room. As more gadgets were created to cook food, the kitchen fireplace slowly decreased in size and importance in the next century.
Kitchen hearth with bake-oven and hot-water heater source
The farmhouse stated with only three rooms, but the quality of the cabinets and woodwork is exceptional. Original furniture from the years 1750-1790 is on display, donated by the previous owners. The building is an amalgam of parts added by different owners in the prevailing architectural style of the time, with a mixture of Colonial and Federal details. Cedar Grove moved to Fairmount Park in 1926, operated by the Philadelphia Art Museum. ((Philadelphia Museum of Art Historic Houses))
Front facade of Cedar Grove, Fairmount Park