The house was not described in the inventory or in tax assessments, but archaeology tells us a little. Most likely, it was a small log or plank house, perhaps 12 feet square. There would have been few windows, and a single door. The house sat directly on the ground, without a footing. Mrs. Tilton cooked over an open fire at one end of the house. The smoke from the fire probably went out through a hole in the roof. A short brick wall built behind the hearth formed a fireback to protect the rest of the house from burning. Dolley had three iron pots and a Dutch oven to cook in. Most people in Kent county at that time could only afford one iron pot.

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