The Milk-Processing Shed -- Restored

The latest restoration completion at Andalusia is the milk-processing shed, located just in front of the cow barn. The shed dates back to the 1940s or earlier. During the 1950s when Regina Cline O'Connor operated Andalusia as a dairy farm, the actual processing or pasteurization of the milk was performed off site at the cooperative, located fifteen miles north of Andalusia, in Eatonton. The essential function of the milk-processing shed at Andalusia was to keep the milk cool until it could be transported to the cooperative. The shed was equipped with large, refrigerated tanks filled with water for cooling and storing the cans of milk. Hot water, supplied by the tank in a small, separate compartment, was used to sterilize the empty cans and milking equipment before they were placed on drying racks to be used again. The importance of making sure that milk was carefully processed before drinking it is clearly illustrated in O'Connor's story "The Enduring Chill."

The restoration of the milk-processing shed was completed in 2009 and was primarily funded by the Watson-Brown Junior Board of Milledgeville. Additional support for this project came from generous donations from Friends of Andalusia and donations given in memory of Robert W. Mann and Catherine Florencourt Firth.

Craig