What you’re looking at
The hearths are the fireplaces that warmed the pens — the source of heat and cooking long before stoves and central heating reached the White River bottoms.
Why it matters
On a frontier farm, the hearth was the center of the home. It cooked the meals, heated the room, dried the washing, and gathered the family on winter nights. The stone or brick work of a good hearth was a point of pride — and a matter of survival.
What to notice
- The size and depth of the hearth — big enough for cooking pots and long-burning logs.
- Look for the signs of generations of use: darkened stones, worn hearthstone, the marks of the fire.
- ▲ Family note: add the hearth’s story — what was cooked here, how the fires were laid, and any family stories told around it.
Family note
▲ Describe the actual fireplaces in the house — their construction, their mantels, and the family's memories of the hearth.
