The walk from the main house to the kitchen house is called the "Whistling Walk." This is because it was the tradition on many plantations that the slaves would be required to whistle when bringing food to the main house. The reason for the whistling is: you cannot eat and whistle at the same time.

Kitchens were separate buildings for two reasons: it kept the smell of cooking out of the main house and kitchen houses frequently burnt down. A kitchen house that lasted 10 years was considered an "old" kitchen house.

The first floor of the kitchen was used for food preparation. The second floor was housing for the cook and her family.

The kitchen house at Historic Latta Plantation is not an old building, but rather a recent interpretation, based on foundations found nearby and on the design of the main house. The original kitchen house was somewhat further from the main house.

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