The Cooks’ Garden

Raising heirloom plants and herbs of early New England

This kitchen garden serves as a source of fresh ingredients for the museum’s open hearth cooking demonstrations and classes. The garden contains an assortment of useful plants commonly found in New England during the 18th and early 19th centuries.  The Cooks’ Garden was dedicated in 2006 in memory of Margaret Quinn Orloske, a member of the museum who enjoyed open hearth cooking and gardening, and with thousands of others died on September 11, 2001. Funds from the Margaret Quinn Orloske Endowment are used to replenish heirloom plants, for general garden maintenance, and for support of the open hearth cooking program.