The Summer Kitchen was moved to the Fair Grounds in 2009. But what is a summer kitchen? In the early 1900's it was common to build a small building that was detached from the house. These were called "summer kitchens". Their main purpose was to keep the house cool during the hot summer months. They were used for cooking, bathing, and laundry. In a summer kitchen there was usually a large cook stove with an oven and a large table for work space. As air-conditioned homes and outdoor grills became more popular and affordable, the need for the summer kitchen was lost.