Old Home Mystery Solved: The Surprising Use of This Kitchen Cubby!
October 19, 2024
source: Reddit
The feature you’ve highlighted in the kitchen is indeed an intriguing and somewhat rare remnant of older home designs, especially those from around the turn of the 20th century. What you’re likely looking at is a form of a “warming alcove,” a space designed to take advantage of the residual heat from a chimney or hearth. While this particular chimney might not have a firebox directly below, homes often employed innovative ways to make the most of the heat generated by various systems, including indirect warmth from adjacent rooms or floors.
These small, recessed cubby-like alcoves were commonly used for slow cooking, warming food, or proofing dough. The brick would absorb and radiate heat, creating a perfect environment for maintaining warmth without burning or overcooking food. In some cases, families might also use these spaces to dry herbs, fruits, or other perishable items.
In homes with fireplaces or stoves, it was essential to maximize the use of heat, especially before the convenience of modern appliances. With no visible fire source in this space, it’s possible that it was used to maintain warm temperatures from nearby rooms or floors where a stove or furnace might be in operation, or perhaps an old stove pipe used to pass through it, carrying heat with it.
