George Washington’s Traveling Kitchen: A Revolutionary War Cookbox

As part of our 250th anniversary commemoration of the United States, the Bayside Historical Society welcomes Steve Eftimiades, Caretaker of the historic Adriance Farmhouse at the Queens County Farm Museum, for an engaging historical presentation.

Step into General George Washington’s world through a reproduction of his Revolutionary War campaign cookbox, or mess kit, which he carried with him throughout the war from 1776 to 1781. This wooden, leather-covered chest is more than a simple storage box. Cleverly designed for use while on campaign, it contains nesting stock pots with removable handles, a folding grate with an extending handle for cooking over an open fire, and an array of practical essentials, including a coffee grinder, plates, platters, mugs, and cooking utensils.

The original cookbox is now preserved at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. This presentation offers a closer look at how such an object supported Washington during his campaigns and what it reveals about the everyday realities of the Revolutionary War.

The cost is free; please RSVP online.