Carl Steen said:
We get earthfast houses up to about the turn of the 19th century it
seems, but post in ground farm structures are still in use today. Bugs
do eat the poles, but they [the posts] seem to get replaced as
necessary...
 
Carl makes an important point. Posts, even locust, eventually succumb to
rot and insect infestation. No doubt some colonists used assorted
remedies such as charring or tarring posts before setting them into the
ground. With or without treatment, one could expect to replace posts. A
relatively simple matter involving one or more blocks and levers, a
short handled shovel, and a suitable replacement post upon which to rest
the building frame.
 
I am always puzzled by the distinction made between permanent and
impermanent architecture. All architecture is impermanent, whether it be
masonry, frame, timber, or a cardboard box. Virtually any building,
however, also can be permanent in the sense that it could last several
generations if properly maintained. Any homeowner today knows that if
you don't keep the gutters clean, the water drained away from the house,
the roof tight and--yes--the termites kept under control, that a
substantial investment could become inhabitable.
 
The distinction between permanent and impermanent architecture, useful
nearly 20 years ago, distracts us from the important questions: how long
was a particular building occupied (notwithstanding the '20 year rule'
often applied to earthfast structures)? Is there evidence of repair?
Replacement? Was a particular site abandoned because the buildings fell
down? Or was the site abandoned because of worn-out crop land, land
disputes, political or religious tensions, 'carpet-bagging,' a failing
local economy, merchants diverting ships to other parts, or simply
greater opportunities to achieve desired goals elsewhere?
 
Perhaps we could push the functional/environmental explanations into the
background for awhile and try to understand what the 17th century
colonists were trying to do and how, and perhaps how they identified and
solved problems with different architectural approaches.
 
Jim Gibb
The Lost Towns of Anne Arundel Project
Annapolis, MD