THE COOK-HOUSE The cook-house was the only building located outside the village. It was quite an unusual structure and does not seem to have been replicated since. It was built on the side of the eastern cliff of the island, suspended and held in place by braces. It was probably the first restaurant of its kind in America, and having three windows with a view of the river, it could have been named "Bellevue" ! The cook-house was unlike the other buildings in that its roof was not gabled, but flat, with a slight incline toward the south. The entrance door was located on the northern side and opened onto the path leading to the village. There must have been a sloping descent or a stairway of about 10 to 12 feet leading from the top of the cliff to the kitchen entrance. There was no window on the south side. To anchor the kitchen to the side of the cliff, they would have had to dug a few feet into the cliff, to establish a solid base, on at least one side and used very sturdy braces to support the other side. The cliff was about forty feet high at that spot. A broad chimney, located a few feet from the eastern wall, shows there was a fireplace where the cooks could prepare the meals. Return to previous page

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