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A Quarterl Journal of Historical Preservation Volume 2, Number 2 Preserving American the Cabildo Roof Livestock .Heritage

Aound the world the extinction ofspecies proceeds at an alarming rate as deforestation, agricultural development, human population expansion and ecologi­ cal degridation continue. Even the farm­ yards, pasturesandfields ofNorthAmerica no longer support the diverse livestock breeds of 50 to 100 years ago. About fifteen years ago, agricultural historians in Massachusetts who had rec­ reated early agricultural habitats at Old Sturbridge Village and Plymoth Planta­ tion were hard pressed to find authentic livestock to stock their recreations. The American Minor Breeds Conservancy (AMBC) was conceived out ofthe recogni­ tion of a need to preserve the vanishing American livestock diversity. In this short time AMBC has grown rapidly to become The Cabildo, Jackson , , , as itappearedbeforethe 1988fire. Photocourtesy active throughut America and has begun ofKoch & Wilson Architects, New Orleans. to go worldwide in efforts to preserve en­ dangered breeds. "The procedures ofFrench scribe layout could not be more unlike the square rule In 1985 AMBC began a comprehen­ practice used today in most American shops. Where modern American is sive list of American livestock breeds to a patchwork quilt oftradition and invention. French scribe is a tapestry, a whole piece of identify those which are in danger of ex­ cloth woven over centuries ofcontinuous practice." tinction. Aftercareful considerationofcen­ sus results, the following definitions have -Ed Levin, Timber Framing, 1992 been developed. RARE ... Cattle and horse breeds with less than 200 registrations per year. About 150yemagoiu muoh ofAmeri..a new""ternoftimberframing'alled Sheep, goat, and pigbreeds with less than square rule replaced the older European method known as scribe rule. In studyingand 500 per year. documenting the old barns ofNew England and the Northeast there is good evidence of MINOR ... Cattle, Sheep, goat, and scribe rule in thejoiningofthe timbers and in the marks scribedby the mastercarpenter horsebreeds with less than 1,000registra­ to guide the cutting of the joinery and the final erection of the frame. These marks are tions per year. Pig breeds with less than keysto our understandingofNew World scriberules. Thesehistoric techniques wereoral 2,000 per year. traditions developed over generations of carpenters and were put aside and forgotten FERAL ... Stocks known to have when the new system ofsquare rule was adopted here. been running wild for at least 100 years Detailed drawings and plans, numbers and fractions describing degrees of angle with no known introducitons of outside and measurements oflength wereofnouseto thescriberulecarpenters. From a few basic blood. measurements established on a layout floor and without a ruler or the WATCH ... Breeds whose registra­ carpenters moved and matched the timbers in an orderly and deliberate choreography, tions over a 15-year period have shown a leveling, plumbing and scribing and joinery. Finally the tibers were coded with a series steady decline or where registrations are ofchisel cuts or the marks ofthe boss's race knife, locating their position in the finished less than 5,000 per year. frame. Many of these breeds are associated Recently a group ofexperienced American timber had the opportunity to with a geographic area, a particular time work under the direction of a French timber , Frederic Brillant, a member of period, or an area settled by a Compagnons du Devoir, the ancient French trade guild, who is trained in the method Continued on page 7 Continued on page 5 PAGE TWO SPRING 1992

and appreciate its wealth of infonnation CommunalStudiesOrganization.Theaddress and commentary. for both is, Center for communal Studies, Withover 1,000 membership and grow­ University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, ing nationwide, S.W.E.A.T. certainly repre­ IN 47712. Good people doing good work. TO THE EDITOR: sents a group active inlivinghistory. Thatyou - Sincerely, include workers in all the old crafts with such Well done on Liuing History. I have a good representation from across America is Bro. Johannes Zingendorf some feeling for what ithas been like getting to the credit ofyour Council ofTwelve. RDBox 1449 started, and wish you the best ofluck. Pitman, PA 17964 Enclosed is our current Directory, the Peter Sinclair FallRag, an info sheetonS.W.E.AT. (Society Editor, Publisher & TO THE EDITOR: of Workers in Early Arts and Trades) and a Old Hack, 61 membership form in case you run into some­ Dear Peter, . one who wants to join. TO THE EDITOR: Thanksfor yourseed saleletterandthe copies of Lfuing Hi,story. A nice issue that, Fred H. Bair, Jr. Thanks for your letter about our work. except for some advertisements, I read cover Wordwright & Odd Hack Christiansbrunn Brotherhood is an active re­ to cover. S.W.E.AT. ligious organization, not a replica ofone. The With bestWishes on your seed projects. 606 Lake Lena Blvd. Brotherhood was founded as a Harmonist ~. Auburndale, FL 33823 group. Bob F. Becker The cloister is a 63-acre farm located in Rushville, ' DEAR FRED. the MahantongoValleyofCentral Pennsylva­ nia. It is run without a hierarchy ofpriests or DEAR BOB: Thanks for your nice letter. Enclosed is ministerse. Each is equal in all things. This $8 for a S.W.KA.T. membership beliefis based inthe German Pietists, Sectar­ Let me guess ... it was either the I'm grateful to learn ofyour organization. I ians and Quakers ofearly Pennsylvania. Alcohol in the Classified, the CanadianArma­ enjoyed reading your Fall Rag and We are an historically based cloister. ment Manufactur~rin the ALFHAM Report We plow with oxen (a rare German/Austrian or theTobacco onpagetwo. Franklyitwasthe Breed-Pinzgauers), light with candles, haul Credit Cards this time I found slightly offen­ water from the spring and preserve log and sive. timber-frame buildings in the valley by docu­ Advertising is a controversial subject menting them and moving others to the clois­ these days what with the U.S. Surgeon Gen­ Publisher/Editor ter and rebuilding them. Our devotion is ex­ eral directing his forces against an army of - Peter Sinclair pressed in our work, Tsu Bluga iss tsu baeta cool camels, but you're right; I should set P.O. Box 202 (to plow is to pray). We believe in self-suffi­ standards and I respect the information and West Hurley, NY 12491 ciency. opinions you share. Must be the ALFHAM in (914) 338-0257 We have a strong outreach program you. Graphic Design with lcoal schools and do many historical How's this, I will refuse ads for Ozone typeset~/layout festivals showing how we make our clothing depleting substances, American Indian arti­ Carol E. Wickwire from flax. We will be back at Landis Valley facts and 18th century New England tomb Wickwire Graphics Farm Museum this year for their festivals. stones. Living History will also support the (9.14) 679·7562 We were recentlyblessed to receive the dona­ National Quilting Association and the Logo Art tion ofan entire printing shop, all hand-oper­ SchoharieValleyPeacemakersquiltingguild, Robert Bissell ated. With it we will soon be publishing a by not accepting advertising from the Panama Tile Co. monthlynewletterfor ourassociate members, Smithsonian Institution for any ofthe 30,000 (212) 673-6319 those who live off the cloister. handmade copies of historic American quilts Copy Editor Our member organizations are the Fel­ they plan to have reproduced in China. They Denise Martin lowship for IntentionalCommunities, andthe will be retailing them at $200 to $500 each, a (212) 679-6319 price they could not match with native labor. Inaddition, Liv ingHistoryawardsits Second Annual Boo­ boo Award to those hard working indi­ viduals in the Wash- ~ ington office of the "( Smithsonianwhoori­ P. O. Box 707 ~~~~b.~ Dresden. Tennessee 38225·0707 ginated and perpetu­ 141~*&[']31~[ili.]:t'!113.1 "Famous Since 1940" ated this policy. WE SPECIALIZE IN ALL TYPES ~ . OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS!

~-Write For Samples And Catalog '1!iIBmI Sincerely, Peter Include $1.00 For Shipping And Handling P.S.-The sale of seeds has been slow this spring, butthe sowingofthe tomatoseeds you suggested have brought forth the first :Z.lm.l.m~i.tJ FRED STOKER & SONS, INC. pale shoots of two heirloom varieties. c====;;M=A=';;L=T=O=:====;;,IP. O. BOX 707 . L H DRESDEN, TN 38225·0707 SPRING 1992 PAGE THREE Traditional TiDlberfrallle Group Meets

About 25 members of the Timber Framers Guild met in January for two daysinNorthfield,Massachusetts, toshare information on historic timber framing relativetoprojects theyhavebeen working on. The Traditional Timber Frame Re­ search and Advisory Group which was formed in 1990 has set the following eight goals.

1. To saveandlorsurveyold andunique traditionally timber-framed buildings. 2. To develop a survey form and checklisttobeusedincatalogingold build­ . ings. 3. To contact appropriate related groups to make them aware ofthe groups existence and its services. 4. To develop methods to examine the evolution of timber framing, such as the transition from scribe rule to square rule in North America. 5. To develop a shared archive. 6. To create appropriate restoration policies. 7. To promote the use of traditional materialsandjoineryincontemporarytim­ ber framing. 8. Topursuefundingfrom allsources to achieve the aforementioned goals.

The participants come from many places inNorthAmerica;theirexperiences included the study, restoration and repli­ Kruck Frame drawing by Jack Sobon. Farmer by RobertBiBBel. cation of barns, bridges, and chruches. Newman Gee from Maine brought with him a of tamarack , an L­ setts, submitted a short paper concerning scribe rule and lap joints, the horizontal shaped piece about 4 feet long, which he a 1981 report of the Council for British timbercalledthecolIarcouldbeconntected had cut in a local swamp. The knee, the Archaeology. A marked contrast to Continued on next page strongestpiece ofangled available, America's recent and slow-growing inter­ is formed by the lower trunk and an ex­ est in its historic timber framing, the re­ tendedroot. Itis used extensivelyinbuild­ port is a documentation and studyof3,000 ing wooden ships and in some very early examples of frames in the british HARD-TO-RND BOOKS framing. Newman described the charac­ Isles, with extensive reserach as to the teristics ofknees and how they are gotten. origin and spread of the tradition. He is carryingon a trade which has a long The cruck was introduced into En­ about New York State history in Maine where the tamarack is gland during the 1200s and gained wide stillknown byitsoldname, "hack," orwhat and long-lastingpopularity there. Itis one the Indians called "hackmatack." ofthemost primitiveframing systems and FREE CATALOG Greg Huber from New Jersey re­ this simplicity may account for its contin­ ported on the clean-up and documentation ued use in the English countryside. Jack being done on the 18th-century Wemple pointed out that "in poorer areas, surviv­ Purple Mountain Press barn in Albany County, New York, by the ing cruck frames seem to utilize more lap Dutch Barn Preservation Society. Greg joinery than ." Box E-3, Fleischmanns, N.Y. emphasized that the Dutch barn, which Though mortise and tenonjoints are represents perhaps theearliestNewWorld superiorstructurally,lapjointssavedmuch 12430 tradition of timber framing, is in need of labor, both in cutting and handling the urgent attention. Perhaps less than 500 timbers. Jackbelieves allthecruckframes examples remain in New York and New in England were cut by scribe rule, a Jersey, and they are disappearing fast process ofmatching and scribing the tim­ without good documentation. bers in their intended positions without 1-800-325-2665 Jack Sobon of Windsor, Massachu- the use ofa ruler or elaborate plans. Using PAGE FOUR SPRING 1992

to the vertical timbers called blades in a The Finest simple process. The heavy blades were Timber positioned on the ground and the collar laid upon them and scribed.Thecollar was - , Frame then rolled over, the joinery cut, and the Homes collar rolled back: The three timbers were then joined, drilled and pinned. The com­ pleted cruck was ready.to raise without Morti.e andtenonjoint. Dovetail lapjoint. Draw­ moving or repositioning the heavy awk­ ing by Robert Bi..el. ward blades. There were several designs used in available to the builder. the apex or peek of the English cruck. At On the final day ofthe conference, the apex the blades meet and support the Richard LawsonofWinchester, newHamp­ 1755 PIONEER ROAD ridge pole. The British study had viewed shire, spoke on a recent project he .and a SHORTSVILLE, NY 14548 716/289-3220 these designs as stages in the evolution of team ofcarpenters had completed. It was the tradition. Jack's paper explains these the replication ofthe massive oakframe of apex designs as methods to accommodate the Harmsworth tithe barn in England, the irregular curvature and lengths ofthe one of the most impressive ofthe English blades that were available, rather than tithe barns. These cathedral-like build­ indications ofage or ofthe development of ings werelessfunctioningbarnsthan store­ KUliTHIUliY the cruck. houses for "tithe" or taxes paid to the TnAl)I'rIONAlI A map of England displaying loca­ church and nobility, he explained. The CONTEMrOnAnY tionsofthe3,000 cruckframes documented Harmsworth barn was built at a time of FOLK MUSIC showsrathereven distributioninthenorth peasant unrest in England so that its and west and a complete absence in a architecturalmessagewas a bishop'sstate­ clearly definedeasternquarter. According ment of ecclesiastical granduer and au­ to Jack and the British students ofcruck, rLUS HI-TECH SOUNl) thority, an effectivedevisefor maintaining this demarcation does not conform to any the status quo. Unfortunately for those ron rESTntAt.S a rAms known geographic or cultural logic. whostruggledfor theirfreedom from tithe, FrenchexpatriateFrederickBrillant, the barns are awfully lovely to look at. who had come east from his home on Richard, an early practitioner and (3'14) SS1-0S30 Vashon Island, Washington, to direct the educator in the recent American timber­ Cabildoproject(seecoverstory), discussed frame revival, stressed the need to "insti­ a traditional French barn truss roof and tutionalize" the guidelines for study and how its design was used by Mansard in teaching ofthe timber framing craft. This development of the roof style which had led to a lively discussion and finally some­ such a wide spread influence on urban one askedhim. "Sohow wouldyoujoin this architecture both in Europe and America institution?" andheanswered, "You would during the 19th century. document and photograph 200 barns to Because stone buildings predomi­ become an apprentice." This met with en­ nate in France, timber framing is almost thusiastic approval. The meeting was ad­ synonymous with roof framing there. journed and everyone went back to work. REPRODlJCTION;~ Frederick explained how the French truss HISIORIC TEXJ]LE is to someextent a tradition thatdeveloped ~. I;' *** Custom and commision weavingfor: ..' from the use ofsecond growth forests and It ". • Historic Siles [ the scarcity oflarge and tall trees. was Ifyou you are interestedin theTraditional ~ a method which utilized short, irregular Timber Framers Research and Advisory timbers to span wide spaces. It is the Group write: • Re-enactors ~ antithesis of many American barn-fram­ ~ ingtraditions, which wereestablishedat a ~ TrRAG Timber Framers Guild • Period Homes .;: time and place when a virgin forest was P.O. Box 1046, Reene, NH 03431 ~ • Designers ~ STEVE MILLER l • Samples S3.00 ~ INC. Researdt and consultingservices available ~ I TIUSTI.E Hill,WEAVERS Timber Framing, Cathedral Ceilings, Custom Finishworl<, PIw""o,!a (607) 264 U()() Restorations, Barns

Box 9, Waccabuc, N.Y. (914) 763-3078

f SPRING 1992 PAGE FIVE Framing the Cabildo Roof continued ... suitedtothedirect simplicityofscribeover the complex mathematics which would have been necessary with square. Interior ofThe Cabildo Roofbefore the 1988Fire. Photo courte~ ofKoch The contrast between modern and & Wil.on ArchUect& traditional practice was most apparentin the design department. In submittingbids for thejob, onearchitecturalfirm produced 250 pages ofconstruction documents and 31 pages of framing plans. On the other handBrillantsworkingdrawingstotalfour sheets. This winter the 800 timbers, many over40feetlongweretransportedtoHBA's shop in New Hampshire where they were scribed and cutunderFrederick Brillant's direction. In March the timber frame re­ turnedto NewOrleansandwasassembled on thewalls ofthe Cabildo, a happyending for Louisiana and an important event for ofFrench scribe rule still practiced in his frameworkneededto support10,000 square America timber framing. homeland. His direction of the CabiIdo feet ofslate roof tiles. framing has introduced a living tradition In preparation for their bid, HBA *** of scribe rule that could have lasting ef­ inspectedtheremainsoftheCabildoframe fects on themethodsoffuturetimberfram­ andthatofa similarbuildingnearby. They Thisarticlehasmadeuseofmaterial ing in America. were the first to discover that French from two articles which appeared in Tim­ In 1988, fire destroyed the timber scribe rule had been used, and it was at ber Framing, September 1991 by Norman frame roofofthe Cabildo in New Orleans, this timetheyhiredFrederickto directthe Deplumeand March 1992byEdLevin, For Louisiana. Built originally in 1751 by the work. There may well have been some further information, write: Timber Fram­ French as a police station and rebuilt by sighs of relief among other bidders when ersGuildofNorthAmerica,P.O.Box 1046, the Spanish in 1788 after a fire, it served HBA got the contract because the timbers Keene, New Hampshire 03431. It also as city hall during the years of Spanish which were tobe used to construct theroof made use of Marita Wiser's article in the rule. Today the Cabildo is home to the were irregular and twisted and the L­ winter 1992 ' Quarterly, P,O. Box Luoisiana State Museum. shaped roof had many angles. It was be­ 249,SnowvilleRd., WestBrownfield,Maine In 1788 the design of the Cabildo coming clear that this was a job better 04010. presented a two-story facade with flat roof in neoclassic style. The L-shaped stone structure occupied a rectangle roughly SEARCHING FOR YOUR DUTCH HERITAGE? 100x70 andcontained 12,000squarefeetof floor space. Soon the Baroness Pontalba builta pairofthree storyapartmentbuild­ ings close by and they out scaled the Cabildo. The Dutch in America Orange Pages-1992 Unable to tolerate this the city au­ is the unique "Yellow Pages" guide for all the thorities commissioned a Mansard roof with many dormers to bebuilt atop the 30­ Dutch in America foot stonewalls oftheCabildo, thus adding a third story and 23 feet to theheight, plus an octagonal cupola to emphasize the From Delft Blue to Genealogical Societies, from Translators to building's importance. It was this timber Bookstores, from Historical Societies to Organizations which fram~ Mansard roof, built by Louisiana carpenters in 1849, which was destroyed promote Cultural Ties between the Netherlands and America, it can by fire four years ago. all be found in nearly 200 pages, including a history of the Dutch in Insteadofadoptingmodernconstruc­ tion techniques and materials to replicate America, a calendar of Tulip Festivals and much, much more. theappearanceoftheoldroofoftheCabildo, the city decided to restore it with tradi­ To order: Send $14.95 + $3.QO s/h ($.50 for addt'l books). tional framing, using rough-cut timbers MA & NY residents add sales tax. held together with wooden pins. Bids for i.b.d. Ltd., 24 Hudson St., Kinderhook, NY 12106 its construction, oneofthelargestframing commissions in recent history, were re­ or call 1-800-343-3531 (518-758-1411) VISA, MC, AMEX quested and Historic Building Associates of Winchester, new Hampshire was awarded the contract. HBA, a consortiumoftraditionaltim­ :.::.:::.:.::.::.::.:.:.::.::.::.::.::.::.::.::'.':.::'.':.:::..:.::.::.::.::.:'.:.'.:.:.: ;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.:.;.;.:.;.;.:.:.:.;.;.:.;.:.;.:.:.;.;.;:.:.:.,.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.,.:.:...... :.;.:.;.:.::;.;.::;:;:;:;:;: ..:.:.. ber framers from three states, had faced DUTCH stiffcompetition in winningthecontractto NET W 0 RKIN G 5 ER VICE 5 Inc. transform 800 timbers of rough-cut cy­ .1.1""" I llllllfSlII.llllllllRlIlIlHlllIlI 1II11111 II illillllllliS"" Hi"limlllmlllllm press and yellow into the complex PAGE SIX SPRING 1992

When Joe Bories returned from World War II to his farm in Teutopolis, Illinois, he thought that all the old open-pollinated varieties offieldcorn hadbeen replaced by thenewhybrids. In 1965 a relative toldhim aboutsome nearbyfarmers who still grew the old varieties and he began to collect and plant the seed. Today the Borries have created a lively business selling the seed offour local varieties of open-pollinated corn. "Thefarmer thatjustgoesoutand tries tobustbinsis not suitedfor this kind Qf corn," says Joe's son, Gerald. "But, for the farmer who doesn't have the best ground and doesn't like to fertilize heavy, open-pollinated corn can make a lot of sense when it's going to end up beingfed on the farm. Many ofour customers buy our corn in order to produce silage. Open-pollinated corn generally has a lot more leafy vegetation." "The way this farm lies, Joe says, "alot offarmers wouldn't like it. We've got strips of and such that divide fields off from one another. But for our purposes it's perfect. Ourbiggestcross­ pollination threat isfrom our neighbors who plant corn up against us. When that happens, we compensate by not allowing at least the first 40 rows, clos­ est to the nearby corn, to be used for seed. In fact, we tell customers that if they intend to save seed, they should

Top right: Joe BorrU?B; center: lett to right­ Leonard, Gerald and Joe; bottom lett: Joe and take the same precaution. One thing Leonard. All photo. by RogerPeach. that slows down sales for us is that we try to impress on farmers that they can select their own seed from this year's crop to plant next year." "We grow and sell foufvarieties." Leonard wrote Living History, "Reids Yellow Dent was developed byJames L. Reid in Northern Illinois in 1846 and was crossed the next year with an ear- lier yellow corn. From this cross the Reid was developed to mature in 110 days. Boone County White was developed in Boone County, IndianabyjamesRiley in 1876.WebelievethatKrugsisan offshoot ofReids. Its characteristics are similar. Henry Moore was developed in our own Effingham County. We found farmers from 20 to 100 miles ofour home growing OP corn and got our start from these people. Gerald and I sell the corn now, although we couldn't get it all done without dad's help."

Protein Lysine Maturity (days) Henry Moore (yellow) 11.3 0.38 110 Krugs (yellow) 10.0 0.30 90 Reids (yellow) 9.9 0.31 110 Boone County White 7.8 120

P.s.-Ifyou need any more info please let us know. Thank you.

Leonard J. Borries Rt. 4, Box 79, Teutopolis, IL 62467 Phone: (217) 857·3377 SPRING 1992 PAGE SEVEN PreservingAmerican Livestock Heritage

continued 000 specific ethnic group. ThemilkingDevons, one of our rarest cattle breeds, was very importantduringthe 18th and 19thcentu­ ries in the Northeast as dairy, beef, and draught animals. More closely associated with the Midwest is the Milking Short­ horn, the first improved breed of cattle, they were formerly known as Durham Cattle. Many of the older breeds have lost popularity because they were "general­ ists." Modern agriculture demands "spe­ cialists," one type of chicken for eggs, an­ other for meat, one type ofcattle for milk, another for beef. Some breeds have de­ clined in numbers simply because their attributes have been overlooked in the commercial context. Living history museums and farms TIu! Horned Dorset ewe andlamb areamongLakeFarmpark's (England) doun breeds ofsheep. Photo by can offer a legitimate and important niche Linda Nicolas. Courtesy ofAMBCNew& to threatened breed groups ofappropriate animals. Livestock adds dynamism to his­ toric sites. Animals help to "trademark" TheAnnualMeetingoftheAmerican manage livestock at historic sites; and and personalize a museum. They attract Minor Breeds Conservancy is being held Rabbit Goody asking, "What's wrong with the public and bring them back, time after this year, June 12 & 13, at Old Salem this reproduction textile?" LH plans to time, to experience the seasonal cycles, to which is the living history farm at Wake attend. seethe newlambsandcalves in the spring; Forest University, Winston-Salem, North For information write: AMBC, Box the shearing in early summer; and the Carolina. Itwill befollowed there, June 14 477, Pittsboro, NC 27312; or Old Salem processing ofmeat, leather and horn dur­ through 18, by the Annual Meeting of Inc., P.O. Box F, Salem Station, Winston­ ing the harvest seasons associated with ALFHAM (Association for Living History Salem, NC 27108. fall and winter. Farms and Agricultural Museums). ALFHAM plans a full schedule ofevents, Don Bixby, DVM meetingsandworkshops. Titles andspeak­ Executive Director AMBC ers include: Don Bixby, explaininghow to

cently they provided Jackson and Perkins seed company with over 400,000 packages of their flower seeds to be distributed by them to customers. Mount Vernon also announced a $1.75 million grant from the Since publication ofthe winter issue W.K. Kellogg Foundation ofBattle Creek, of Living History which focussed on heir­ Michigan, to "support a new exhibition loom seeds, one oversite was discovered area that will focus on Washington's ac­ andtwoimportantadditions arrivedinthe complishments offthe battlefield and out­ mail. side government, when' he was home in The oversite was Seed Saver's Ex­ Virginia struggling to make a living as an 1880-90 photograph ofGeorge Washington's 16· change of Decorah, Iowa, an organization sided barn, constructed on the Mount Vernon Es. innovative farmer." which has been a pioneer in the field of tatesbetween 1792& 1794. The bam isno longerin Neil W. Horstman, Resident Direc­ saving and exchanging heirloom seeds. enstence. Ph'oto courtesy Mount Vernon Ladies' tor of Mount Vernon, which is owned and Kent and Diane Whealy began with three hsociation. managed by the Mount Vernon Ladies' heirloom varieties in 1973 and today the importantAmericanfarmers. TheThomas Association noted, "We are determined to organization theyfoundedmaintainsthou­ Jefferson Center offers a wide selection of introduce Americans to a side of George sands, including 2,200 types ofbeans and seeds at $1.75 a package. They include Washington that has always remained in 700 tomatoes. perennials like Blackberry Lily and Great the background. Washington was happi­ Soon after publication mail arrived Golden Knapweed. Roses, classic flower est and most creative when he was at from Monticello and Mount Vernon de­ bulbs, and sparkling Virginia-made cider Mount Vernon experimenting with new scribing seed projects at both of these are also available from Monticello. crops and unusual fertilizers." historic Virginia sites. Both offer excellent Mount Vernon sells seeds as well as Included in the Kellog grant, and of written material and a selection ofhistoric boxwood cuttings from George special interest to this issue of Living seeds and plants associated with these two Washington's original boxwood hedges. Re- Continued on next page PAGE EIGHT SPRING 1992

SEED REPORTcontinued ...

History, are the plans to rebuild Washington's 16 sided barn built in 1792. A program ofinternshipfrom such organi­ zations as 4-H and National FFA will enable students to participate in the plan­ 10, ning and construction of the barn which will include handmade bricks and wood from mature treesharvestedon theestate.

Seed Savers Exchange Figure 1-62, Conjectural Development of Rural Route 3, Box 239 Swiss Forebay Bank Barn& Decorah, Iowa 52101

TheMountVernonLadies'Association to the basement stable doors. Mount Vernon, Virginia 22121 "This bookis theresult of15 years of research andfieldwork, coveringthousands Monticello of miles across North America and Eu­ P.O. Box 316 rope." Ensminger writes in the Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 --Robert F. Ensminger has kindly al­ Introduciton, "It represents the first at­ lowed LivingHistorytoreproduce an illus­ tempttointegrateandupdatetherelevant tration from his forthcoming book, Penn­ research abut thePennsylvaniabarn'sori­ & sylvania Barns, an Examination of the gin, development and diffusion-those Herb Lytle Son Origin, Evolution, Form and Distribution aspects which have produced the distinc­ Custom Milled Lumber ofForebay Bank Barns in North America tive agriculturallandscapescharacterized Hard and soft woods and sometimes dominated by its pres­ Specializing in custom width& length which willbe publishedinSeptember 1992 by Johns Hopkins University Press. The ence." Tapered rafters One intriguing contribution to the West Hurley, Ulster County, New York barns and material culture of Pennsylva­ 914-331~~803 niahave probablybeenbetterdocumented PennsylvaniabarnwhichEnsmingerpoints and studied than that ofany other region out in the drawing illustrated here is the ofAmerica, yet Ensminger's book will in­ incorporation ofthe chischner rack (num­ troduce new and perhaps controversial bers 4 and 5) into the forebay ofthe Swiss Why do ideas to our understanding of this impor­ barn. The chischner was a devise used Timber Framers, Log Builders, tant barn, a tradition which was estab­ until recently in Alpine regions to dry Architects and Engineers lishedin southeasternPennsylvaniainthe grain in the field and in some places it was early 18th century and was eventually adapted to the barn forming a talina or read JQ? taken north andwestintoOhio, Wisconsin openforebay (numbers 6 and 7). Thetalina "JQ is exactly what /,,,,, been looldng and beyond. was laterc1osed(number 9, 10 and 11) and far. A good mixture oftechnique & Ensminger finds evidence ofthis origin in plUwsqphy in a straight forward Unlike the English three bay barns format: B.Manich. S.F., CA. or the New World Dutch barns which had the Pennsylvania barn. "Your Quart~ly is an outstanding no basements and whose threshing floors Ensminger made an important ob­ gmt in the world oftodays pulp publiCAtions, primarily sina it rested on the ground, the Pennsylvania servation in 1988 when he returned to displRys forthright intelligent arlicl