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]