Things are Cooking in Bath Parks -- Literally

The action in Bath Parks has heated up this summer.

The township has fired up a pre-World War II brick oven in the Bath Nature Preserve, which, with help from a resident, has produced its first loaves of artisan bread.

"It reaches a temperature of 1,000 degrees," Parks Director Mike Rorar said. "Pizzas are done in about two minutes."

The oven is just outside the Regal Beagle, the hunting lodge used by the Firestone family when they owned the property. The township purchased it in 1997 and turned it into a nature preserve.

Rorar said the oven had fallen into disrepair and there was talk of tearing it down -- until word reached resident Kathy Lehr, an expert on brick ovens, who showed officials how to use it.

So over the last month, the township put in a drainage system and made other repairs. Now, the oven is functional.

"This brings a new aspect to the park," Rorar said. "Maybe we can start offering classes, or have bake-offs. It opens a door we haven't ever thought about."

He said the oven is huge and was probably used for roasting game caught during Firestone's hunts.

Lehr demonstrated how to get the oven cooking, then remove the wood and coals and put in the food. 

About 24 hours after Lehr finished, Rorar said he checked the temperature of the oven. It was still over 100 degrees, even though it was near freezing outside.

"Talk about green energy," he said.