Anatomy of a Dairy

The Perfect Location

The Machen's chose this site to take advantage of the natural flow of the spring. Water was easily directed from the spring through the building and out the other side. As it passed through, the cold spring water preserved the milk and other products. The temperature inside the building remained fairly cool—about 50 degrees Fahrenheit—because of the water and surrounding ground.

Stone Construction

This building is made of local sandstone and probably had a wooden roof. Sandstone was in abundance at Walney, and it was more stable than wood which will not hold up to constant contact with soil and water. You can glimpse the stonemason's work at the top of the middle wall. He used two layers of stone and filled the spaces in between with smaller stones, or rubble. A mortar of lime and sand held it all together.

Work Rooms

The room on the right was for storing milk and making butter. Spring water collected in the brick vat and kept milk and cream containers cool. The water flowed around the outside of the room in the channels on the floor. Cheese was made in the room on the left. Here, water moved through the middle of the room and out through a hole in the base of the wall. The inside walls, troughs, and channels were parged. That means they were coated with a layer of mortar to make them waterproof and easy to wipe clean.

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Show me all markers in:  Chantilly, VA  |  Fairfax County  |  20151  |  Virginia  |  United States of America

The Walney Dairy
The Walney Dairy
Walney House
Walney Outbuildings
Walney Outbuildings
Walney Outbuildings
The Cross Farmhouse
On This Site
A Place on the High Ground
Mount Gilead Historic Site

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