Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Old log barn


























This is an old log barn I helped my nephew take down a number of years ago. The logs were in great shape. My only misgivings was the wide space between the logs would have required a lot of chinking.
When taking down old barns like this it is kinda fun (and sometimes sad) to see how the structure has been changed to suit various needs over the years; logs moved or cut. openings made to make new doors or windows.
The logs had been very well protected.
He eventually gave the logs to another project and I don't know what became of them.

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Look at the size of those logs!

Five logs high. That is incredible, and not many around like that now a days. Each one of those look to be about three feet wide.
The cabin was built in 1841 in Indiana. Other than that I don't know any more about it.


As a point of reference; My cabin is the picture below. Count up five logs and see that they only come up to the bottom of the window.
In the old black and white picture the window is in the second log.
I have only seen one cabin with logs this size myself.
My cabin has nine to ten logs to reach the same height.
Wow!
































It seems the cabin has been preserved at Turkey Creek State Park, Indiana.

In this picture you can see that the logs are very narrow and in no way equal the width of the side view.
The logs were probably split which meant one section made more than one log, there by weighing less and not taking up so much interior room.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

fine restoration Marthasville Mo.

More to my liking.

 This fine restoration is now a museum in Marthasville Mo., very much a part of Daniel Boone's old stomping grounds.

This is more of a restoration than a remodeling.
Six over six windows have been included.
In the old days, glass was hard to form in big sheets, so smaller pains would be made and fitted into frames. Six over six was the most common.
 The Dog-trot has been very nicely framed and stoned to make more interior living space.
More many years, probably, the dog-trot would have been lift open to provide a shade area around the house to do household chores or to sit or sleep in the summer. And to give it it's name, it is where the family dog would hang out.


The logs have a wonderful brown color, like newly cut logs.
Logs in real time would only stay brown for a short time.
Sun light would eventually turn theme grey.
Note how the stone work is more typical of what would be found in Missouri.
The white squares in the logs above the windows would be where the upper story floor beams would be.
This would be called 'a story and a half dogtrot cabin'.
The stairs going up would be in the dog-trot section.

 Another cabin has been placed at one end.
Note how the mortar chinking is brown, where in the first cabin discussed on this page the mortar chinking is very white.
Although now made out of cement, chinking would originally be made out of mud, with straw or horse hair mixed in to provide a binding.
It would probably have been patch or redone several time till finally cement was used.
Many restorations will use colored cement now a days to replicate mud.

 Fine dove tail corners.







The interior is set up with period pieces.

Friday, July 3, 2015

It's amazing what you will discover just talking about your passion.

The other day at work I got talking to another guy about old log buildings and he asked, "Hey, have you seen that one on such and such road?" I said, "No I have not."
He told me about it and told me how to find it, so that is what I did last night.
I have driven by the site many times over the years, but never knew it was there.
The logs no longer stand in their original configuration.
Originally a two story, it probably resembles the original very little.
Lots of changes have been made to help preserve as many logs as possible.
But, that does not mean it is not a great find.
Note the logs to the left front of the cabin that suggest an interior wall.
 Inside the upstairs floor boards are stained by many years of smoke and have a wonderful patina (that's the last fancy word I will use today).
 You can also see that at one time the logs had been covered with diagonal laths and plaster.

The opening in the wall hides another room and stairs leading up to what would have been at one time an upstairs.
 The roof is still in good shape so the upper logs look good.


 Most of the damaged logs are down lower or under windows.

The chinking is not original and was not well done.
 This is the backside and you can see the logs that divide the interior room.

Although there are probably to many bad logs to preserve the cabin the way it sits, I believe there are enough good ones to rebuild a nice little cabin near the site.
Another view of the back and one side

A few months ago the boys from 'Barnwood Builders' had stopped by to discuss the best way to preserve it.

I am glad the owner, who is part of the original farm family still wants to keep it.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

I have been longing. . .

. .  to visit this barn for years.

And surprisingly I found today that I work with the lady who owns it.

So a visit has been set up.

Stay tuned.









I also found out that at one time there were a couple of other log barns on the property.
This next image is of a log barn in front of the above barn. Sold at an estate auction years ago.
I hope they rebuilt it.


Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Old log school house lost to Lake of the Ozarks. . .

Beautiful!

Slave Cabin St Charles County Mo.




























It is in better shape than most slave cabins. The logs have been hewn and eventually it had been sided. How much of that took place while slaves lived in it we will never know.
It also has glassed windows and a second story.

Some old images of log buildings in Warren County Mo.

 The Frederick Muench Farm, Dutzow Mo.

Note the laths near the door, there to hold the plaster. First time I have seen them put on in vertical pattern.
They are handmade laths or riven, split from a log.
Note also how they are 'woven' between the horizontal braces.
The weaving would mean no nails were needed.
 The same farm. You can see the door near the center of the photo.

They attached taller building could well have been log also.
 This is labeled 'Out building on the Frederick Muench Farm'.

Small log barn. The log holding up the outer edges of the roof are called 'cantilevered'.

Another view of the previous post. . .























Historically it is called 'Green House', but since it no longer stands, I can't ask why.