The Alabama Historical Commission has a series of articles on historic house (including cabins) characteristics, including flooring.  The section on brick flooring says: "Brick floors in service areas prior to c. 1870 were laid directly on the earth on a sand or cinder bed to lessen moisture accumulation. Common patterns were: 4 x 8 inch square herringbone, 4 x 8 inch 45 degree herringbone, and 8 x 8 inch half-bond, square. Joints were butted tight with sand swept in and wet down to fill any cracks. No 'mortar joints' were employed."



Link to the site: http://preserveala.org/Historic_Homes.aspx?sm=e_a


Linda Naoi Goetz  |  Senior Archaeologist
JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc.
www.jbrenv.com  |  425.977.4994 ext. 102






-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Derry
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 7:49 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Question about Log cabins



Here's a question to those of you that have excavated remains of early log

cabins.  Has anyone discovered one that sat atop a full brick foundation  or

one with a brick floor? If so, I'd like to hear the details.



Of course some must have sat directly on the ground, but what is the range

of possibilities for foundations for log cabins?   And the same question for

flooring in log cabins.  I've seen reference to puncheon floors in

documents, but what about brick.



I'm working on early 19th century sites in the southeastern U.S.  I'm

working on a town site that had a brick yard before it had any saw mills,

and initially it was settled before steamboats were running so clapboards,

etc. were very hard to obtain in the early years.





Linda Derry

Site Director

Old Cahawba

719 Tremont St.

Selma, AL 36701

ph. 334/875-2529

fax. 334/877-4253

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