Is this a smokehouse and what part is missing?

[mdb1]

I just bought an old restored property in North Carolina. The house has been restored and the several outbuildings have been cleaned/painted/wired for electricity. This building looks like an old smoke house. The fire box on the left side has an upper chamber with a heavy metal rack—both chambers have heavy iron doors. Above the top chamber is an opening that apparently carries smoke through a side contraption then up through a hole and smokestack into a back room (back room about 7’x10’). I’ve tried to picture part as clearly as possible. Can anyone tell me, please:

— is it a smoke house
— what was the slot/contraption on the side
— what is missing, if anything

Thanks to everyone for help.

 

[TNJAKE]

You've got yourself a heck of a smokehouse and and entire outdoor primitive kitchen. Looks like an oven on the left and a grill/stovetop on right. Not sure about those boxes with the side grates. Maybe something for starting a coal bed that you you can shovel out into the firebox. Guessing on that one. Very nice score though

 

[thirdeye]

That's nice, and ample room to have other smokers on the covered slab. I don't know what the slot is, and does the 7' X 10' room have any hooks or racks for hanging things like hams or bacon?

 

[smokin peachey]

I wouldn’t call that a smokehouse. Looks more like a outdoor kitchen without a sink.Definitely looks well maintained. Congratulations on the new pad!

 

[pc farmer]

Looks cool what ever it is

 

[indaswamp]

Post some pics. of inside the smoker room, and the entry way/door.

Does it have a smoke stack or just vent along the ceiling?

 

[Wurstmeister]

Interesting piece of work and the mystery box! LOL! Definitely will bring you a lot fun. Does the roof opening in the side box lead to a roof vent (via the pipe) or back in to the main building? If it passes back into the main chamber, it could be a dual use box - make embers/coal bed as TNJAKE mentioned while capturing the generated smoke? If it vents to roof, I'd lean with TNJAKE, the screens are removable (slide up/out) dropping the coals for shoveling.

 

[mdb1]

That's nice, and ample room to have other smokers on the covered slab. I don't know what the slot is, and does the 7' X 10' room have any hooks or racks for hanging things like hams or bacon?

There are beams in the “smoke room” that look like hooks were hung on nails, but there’s enough floor space that freestanding wire racks could have been used.

 

[daveomak]

Those slots, look like you put burning logs in the baskets on the sides and the draft, from the chimney, sucks the smoke into the cold smoking room...
It would be nice if there was some continuity to the pictures, and the entire operation was shown.... Could be a learning tool....

 

[pineywoods]

Those slots, look like you put burning logs in the baskets on the sides and the draft, from the chimney, sucks the smoke into the cold smoking room...
It would be nice if there was some continuity to the pictures, and the entire operation was shown.... Could be a learning tool....

That's what I thought when I looked at the pic of the racks logs in it ash falls to bottom and smoke into the smoking room via draft.
As Jake said oven on the left stove on the right if using either fire is built underneath them

 

[mdb1]

Interesting piece of work and the mystery box! LOL! Definitely will bring you a lot fun. Does the roof opening in the side box lead to a roof vent (via the pipe) or back in to the main building? If it passes back into the main chamber, it could be a dual use box - make embers/coal bed as TNJAKE mentioned while capturing the generated smoke? If it vents to roof, I'd lean with TNJAKE, the screens are removable (slide up/out) dropping the coals for shoveling.

Thanks for your reply.

The firebox and grate (where I figured wood chips would be placed) are vented through a slot in the top of the area with the iron doors. Smoke would pass from there through the slot with the metal racks (side of building), then up through a hole into the clay pipe in the back room. The pipe ends before the ceiling, so I assume smoke would fill the room. A small slot is cut out through the fascia board around the roof, I assume, to allow the smoke to eventually vent to the outside. Not sure about all of this, but it seems to explain some the the structures.

 

[MJB05615]

Looks cool. Staying tuned for more in depth pictures.

 

[pit 4 brains]

I'de like to come up from SC and take a look at that! 'Bout how far are ya from Charleston area?

 

[campfirestu]

Wow is that a cool place to gather and cook!

 

[smokin peachey]

What is in the back side?

 

[mdb1]

What is in the back side?

The back half of the building is a room, approximately 7’x10’. There are new glass windows in it now because the house remodeler installed new windows in the house and all of the out-buildings. I assume that the previous windows were just wooden shutters that could be opened to get light in when needed, between smoking events.

The room now has some electrical wire because the remodel guy wired all of the out-buildings. He also put in breakers, lights, and electrical outlets.

 

[hoity toit]

Looks like they never finished the stack thru the roof. I would say this was not used as a smokehouse because the inside isn't all sooty from smoke. It could however BE a smokehouse. I would remove or reroute the wiring so it is protected from damage and perhaps close in the ceiling. Someone spent a lot of $$$ with all the nice brickwork. I like it !!

 

[Brokenhandle]

It's definitely interesting! If it was used as a smokehouse then I'm guessing that the inside was thoroughly cleaned. With all the updates with wiring and new windows they definitely forked out some cash.

Ryan

 

[smokin peachey]

The back half of the building is a room, approximately 7’x10’. There are new glass windows in it now because the house remodeler installed new windows in the house and all of the out-buildings. I assume that the previous windows were just wooden shutters that could be opened to get light in when needed, between smoking events.

The room now has some electrical wire because the remodel guy wired all of the out-buildings. He also put in breakers, lights, and electrical outlets. View attachment 486550

That’s kinda strange. Looks kinda like the roof was leaking. What did the previous owners tell you about it when you bought the property?