On July 15 of 1801, as John and Sarah Jay were preparing to move to the newly expanded Bedford House, John wrote his wife, “Your information respecting a perpetual Iron Oven shall be attended to…” Although the stove John had purchased has long been lost to time, a new stove is being commissioned for installation in the 1818 “modern” kitchen. The Jay’s expanded the house to accommodate an ever growing household including their adult children and their young grandchildren. Documentary evidence, uncovered behind a 1960s brick mantel and fireplace surround show the ghost image of the stove, which was relocated from the 1801 kitchen to the new kitchen.
