Linda: Interesting question. Plantations were making brick all around I think, but the log structures were
mostly yeoman Anglo, black or American Indian structures. I have seen log tenant houses, with mud chimneys, 
on at least two plantations but they razed those in the 1970's so I don't know. I think the last one at Melrose Plantation had low brick piers. All the shotgun houses in the quarters did. Evidently brick was labor intensive. Bousillage walls remained more popular even after brick piers and fireplaces appear. Fireplaces were brick while the piers were not,so brick was around. Fred Kniffen used to remind me how conservative
folk carpenters were . I guess this is partly that. Pete Gregory
________________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Derry [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, August 06, 2012 9:25 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bois d'Arc Log Foundation

Pete,

Interesting.  Here in the Black Belt of Alabama , we have no rock either,
but they were making brick before they were able to set up saw mills to make
clapboards.  So our early townsite (c. 1819, 1820) had only log cabins and
brick buildings and probably some brick piers & chimneys.  Of course wood
piers and wood chimneys were used in the region also, but  I am curious why
ya'll aren't mentioning brick piers and chimneys.  Was the local clay not
suitable for bricks?  Just curious.


Linda Derry
Site Director
Old Cahawba
719 Tremont St.
Selma, AL 36701
ph. 334/875-2529
fax. 334/877-4253
[log in to unmask]








-----Original Message-----
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pete
Gregory
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 3:47 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bois d'Arc Log Foundation

I'm sort of following up on Skip Abernathey. I agree it's good you are
dealing with standing structures. He is right about the La. flatlands
(floodplains) which are virtually rockless! Still people werre still
building "cat" (balls of mud and moss) and "rabbit" (rabets or slats of
split wood and sticks) chimneys here in the 1960's. That was about the end
of it. There are very few left to see that were done correctly.
The lower sills sat on the wooden blocks which had sill wide tops and
rapered away from the sills towards the bottoms so as not to rot the blocks
with water accumulations. Sandstone block was hauled for miles and were
preferred where they could get them. Sandstone was the only large stone
available. Rarely fireplaces were stone chimneys also. The fireplaces had
mud walls and floors, I've seen one made in a arc with a crosscut saw mailed
to hold up the arc! The pinning occurred more commonly in the very early
piece sur piece hewn log cabins built by the French here and in Canada. The
logs in the walls were pinned in several places.
     There is a dissertation at LSU Baton Rouge by Martin Wright titled Log
Culture in North La. as I recall.
It was done in the 1950's and shows the variety and complexity of both
double pen and single pen structures hereabouts (Winn Parish). It might
really help you out. You might try the Canadians ot Jay Edwards fot
information on French log structures.
      Pete Gregory     Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA.

________________________________________
From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Leslie C.
"Skip" Stewart-Abernathy [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2012 2:15 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Bois d'Arc Log Foundation

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]