The Meathouse - Mountain Farm Museum - near Cherokee, NC - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

County of sign: Swain County
Location of sign: US-441 (Newfound Gap Rd.), Mountain Farm Museum, N. of Cherokee
Phone: 865-436-7318
Marker erected by: Great Smokey Mountains National park; National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior

Sign Text:

The Meathouse This building protected one of the most valuable commodities on a mountain farm: the meat supply. The most common meat was pork. Without refrigeration, salting and smoking were the most common means of preserving meat and protecting it from insects and bacteria.

Butchering took place in late fall. Cool temperatures were required to keep the meat from spoiling during the initial stages of the preservation process.

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"meathouse
Moved from Little Cataloochee, NC
  The meathouse was usually closer to the main house than any other building on the farm. This was for convenience and for the security of the family's supply.

  "Although a family's diet might include a variety of meat, it was pork that was found most often in the meathouse. Hogs were butchered in the fall after the weather was cold enough to keep the meat from spoiling until it was cured. Salt was the primary curing ingredient. The meat was covered with salt, then placed on shelves or in boxes or barrels in the meathouse. The salt was absorbed by the meat and it retarded the growth of bacteria. During the winter, a family cut the meat they needed from the larger pieces in the meathouse.

  "When the weather turned warm, the meat was often coated with mixtures that included pepper to help repel insects. Some families packed the meat in boxes or barrels filled with corn meal, shelled corn, or clean, sifted wood ashes. Many felt this not only protected the meat from insects, but "sweetened" it, as well.

  "If the meat was to be smoked, it was hung in the meathouse and subjected to a smoky fire for a week or longer. Smoke added flavor, but also produced chemical compounds that helped protect the meat from bacteria and insects." ~ Text by Tom Robbins, for Great Smoky Mountain Association & Nationals Park Service.

Group that erected the marker: Great Smokey Mountains National park; National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: 1194 Newfound Gap Hwy, Cherokee, NC 28719-8249

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