A springhouse is a small building, usually just a single room, constructed over a spring to keep the water clean from debris and animals. Later, it became the early form of refrigeration, a place for food storage. Everything, from meat, fruits, eggs, and even dairy, stayed cool by the constant spring waters flowing around or through the springhouse.
Because of all the water, springhouses were normally constructed of stone, because a log cabin type springhouse quickly succumbs to water damage and rot.
The rafters in a spring house were an ideal place to hang cured meats and cheeses. Hanging these food items deterred critters from feasting on them while they were stored. The room could have a spring pool for storing milk and other items.
One can see the importance of food preservation and storage in the minds of colonists, since a springhouse would often be built before their home. Many springhouses were completely sealed to prevent critters from munching on the family’s much-needed food and for keeping passing thieves from helping themselves to a free meal.
Part of a springhouse was often built into a hillside or had soil mounded over the top of most of it. This soil bank made the inside stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, averaging 40 to 50 degrees all year.
Water flowed through, under, or around the structure – most often around it. Directing the water flow around the building kept it cool and dryer inside, in other words, no pooling water but high humidity. Diverting some of the water through the building created pools for sitting stoneware crocks directly into the cold water. This was ideal for dairy, fermented foods, pickled vegetables and corned meats. Shelves came in handy for whole fruits and vegetables and other items such as eggs.
Oftentimes, the location of the springhouse determined the location of the main house and barns. The natural refrigeration of springhouses continued to be heavily utilized until the early to mid-1900s as folks began to make the transition to iceboxes and eventually to gas or electric powered refrigerators.
Ventilation and air circulation are important to prevent mold growth; an open door, window or chimney will also help. If the desire is to keep the springhouse closed, because of animals, etc., then it is possible to set up a passive ventilation system. This needs to be planned in advance but is fairly simple to do.
A springhouse should sit so the water flows away from the structure, to prevent flooding, and the door should face south so that the whole exposed structure receives plenty of sunlight throughout the day.
You can read the original article at pocahontastimes.com