Root cellars are rather humble storehouses. They were built to take advantage of the fact that underground rooms, comfortably insulated by several feet of earth, provided frost-free, ideal environments for the storage of many vegetables. Root crops like carrots, potatoes, turnips and such were stored with alternating layers of sand, sawdust, hay or similar materials against the day of their use.
Often the crudest form of root cellar was simply a barrel with a sealed top, buried and mounded over with hay to prevent frost.
Any permanent homestead, however, built a more substantial structure. Whenever possible, a hillside was excavated and a small room, supported by wooden or stone interior bracing, was created. A covering structure took care of the otherwise troublesome problems of drainage. The door was never aligned with the cold, north wind, and was made of heavy planks that could be shut tightly.
You might find a root cellar under a small barn or a shed that looks just like another nondescript outbuilding. If a farmer had to go to the trouble of excavating a cellar in level ground, he frequently covered it with a root barn to hold the wheelbarrows, tools, and other items associated with the harvest. Furthermore, a covering structure took care of the otherwise troublesome problems of drainage.
While the walls of a root cellar could be simple dirt ones, more often than not they were made of stone and plaster, thus reducing the likelihood of excessive moisture or collapse. Wood was never used as it would rot quickly in direct contact with the damp earth.
Root cellars were dug within a convenient winter's walk from the farmhouse kitchen, but their exact placement could vary widely. Some famers built their root cellar into a nearby hillside. Others excavated directly under their farmhouse floors to create a storage space.
