I'm delighted y'all are working around standing structures--so much 
data available. I'm impressed that y'all's sills are pinned 
together--a nice touch. The sandstone chimney sounds great, too.  Too 
often that and some vague patterns of piers are left, and then 
somebody swipes the chimney stones for a patio.  I've only seen a few 
mud cat chimneys and only in the flattish parts of Arkansas but there 
is pretty good documentation of them being used at least to begin 
with in the bumpy parts, too.  To my knowledge, there are no 
surviving first generation rough built log cabins with plank roofs of 
course, though there  are illustrations.

Following up on Linda Derry (who needs  photos?! when we're dealing 
with the tiny sample of surviving wooden structures from the 19th and 
early 20th centuries--it's all speculation about what "typical" was), 
I agree with (about anything) she says. As for Arkansas, we have two 
major regions for architectural materials for local builders to use 
before the RR comes in after the 1870s. These are the bumpy parts of 
the Ozark and Ouachita uplands where slabs of sandstone and/or 
limestone are conveniently poking out of the ground somewhere nearby, 
and the flattish to dead flat Gulf Coastal Plain and Mississippi 
Delta where there's nought but gravel (both areas offer clays for 
bricks if one is up scale). However, the varieties of forms of 
structures actually built (for which there is evidence) can be found 
anywhere across the state.

So one usually sees upland structures (house and outbuildings) 
sitting on stone piers, and lowland structures on wood blocks 
(cypress and locust --can't remember seeing oaks really) or 
replacement brick and later pre-cast concrete piers. In either 
region, one sees sills and joists of rough hewn logs or massive 
circular sawn dimensional (sort of) lumber (steam-powered circular 
saws were available state-wide after 1840).  There is often variation 
within farmsteads based on function of structure with house getting 
most substantial, although outbuildings built after the house and 
first generation outbuildings may actually have better piers and wood 
"under carriage".

Above the support structure anything in wood is possible to find in 
any region: all log, post and beam, balloon frame (various versions), 
even box frame (no studs), and of course combinations as houses or 
outbuildings get added rooms or work spaces. And in about any form 
from single pen to open central passage to whatever.

And yes, bodark evidently had it's last refuge in a small region in 
NE Texas and into the nearby Ouachitas in Arkansas.  According to 
David Jurney as elaborated by Frank Schambach (the tie to the bodark 
bow trade is significant), the huge "horse apple" fruits were 
inedible after the decline of the megafauna and thus the seeds for 
replacement trees were not being distributed naturally any more.  So 
the range was becoming more and more restricted until 19th century 
folks started shipping seeds around.

This is likely way more than you wanted, but one of my favorite 
things to do always has been to explore farmsteads. I've been 
fortunate to have been doing it for about 50 years now.  Thanks for 
the chance to babble.




At 03:51 PM 8/2/2012, you wrote:
>We are currently conducting excavations at a farmstead site here in North
>Texas around a structure constructed around 1870. The structure associated
>with this farmstead, was an ell-shaped 3 room house. It utilized bois
>d'archalf notched logs as the beams for the foundation, and each log
>was held at
>the corners with a wood pin through the notches. the logs rest on bois
>d'arcpiers, and it has a sandstone rock chimney, that was repaired in
>the early
>20th century with brick and eventually phased out for a gas stove.  Resting
>perpendicular to the logs, were joists that were nailed with square-cut
>nails to the logs. Then tongue and grove floorboards were nailed to the
>joists with square-cut nails. The structure itself was  frame.  As of right
>now we are aware of a second structure that utilized a similar foundation
>nearby, however they seem to be fairly unique. We were wondering if anyone
>else has encountered this type of foundation before or maybe able to look
>as some photos and provide insight.
>
>We also had some general questions that pertain to this type foundation, we
>were hoping some might have some insight on.
>
>Would a frame house sitting on the above described foundation expected to
>have a level foundation? This foundation drops 10 cm from the NE corner of
>one room to the SE corner of the adjacent room. We have some ideas and
>additional questions, and we would be happy to share some photos in a pdf,
>off list with anyone who might have some insight into some of the questions
>we have about the foundation.  Thanks.
>--
>Cody S. Davis, RPA
>Project Manager
>AR Consultants, Inc.
>805 Business Parkway
>Richardson, TX 75081
>214.368.0478 (office)
>214.221.1519 (fax)
>www.arc-digs.com
>
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Mr. Leslie C. "Skip" Stewart-Abernathy, Ph.D.
Arkansas Archeological Survey
Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Petit Jean Mountain
1 Rockefeller Drive
Morrilton, AR 72110
501 727-6250, cell 479-264-8149
email: [log in to unmask]