Ron,

Having seen the wooden shed in question at the Ruiz-Alvarado-Johson Adobe, I
stand by my suggestion that it may have functioned as a lath house for
growing sensitive plants and cuttings (orchids, geraniums, and the like).
The San Diego area has the climate and tradition for such practices.

Anne Stoll
Statistical Research, Inc.

----- Original Message -----
From: Ron May <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2001 3:22 PM
Subject: Re: Spring House and Small Drying Sheds


> The query on cider mills reminded me of a question concerning the
> Ruiz-Alvarado-Johnson Adobe in Los Penasquitos Rancho, San Diego County,
> California. Initially a 1-room adobe house during Captain Ruiz and
Francisco
> Alvarado's ownership, Captain George A. Johnson married into the family
and
> expanded the adobe to a "U"-shaped structure with a stone-walled spring
house
> and wooden drying shed. Captain Johnson hailed from New England and
probably
> built the spring house and drying shed with New England templates. Inside
the
> spring house, a natural spring overflows and is channeled out the
foundation
> to a large fish pond. We assume crocks of butter, cheese, milk and yogurt
> were set in the cold water, based on other sites. The wooden drying shed
is a
> mystery. All the 10-inch wide boards were drilled with 1-inch bits to
enable
> saws to cut vertical slots. The total effect is a high-pitched roof on a
> 12-15-foot shed with vertical slots. Does anyone have information on the
> archaeology of spring houses and an idea of how the wood shed functioned?
>
> Ron May
> Legacy 106, Inc.
>