traderoftreasures
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here is some photos of a barn my friend has just bought and gave me permission to hunt. can anyone guess the age or era. think its worth hunting?
can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site.... fresh !
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spartacus53
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
I would have guessed 1850-1870
I think it is worth hunting, whaterver you find will certainly be a relic, maybe even some old coins. I hope to see an update on that hunt, also try and get more info from the owner as to how old that barn really is
I would have guessed 1850-1870
I think it is worth hunting, whaterver you find will certainly be a relic, maybe even some old coins. I hope to see an update on that hunt, also try and get more info from the owner as to how old that barn really is
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traderoftreasures
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
the town of jonesboro was settled in 1818 and it's just about 3 or 4 miles west.
the town of jonesboro was settled in 1818 and it's just about 3 or 4 miles west.
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johnnyi
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
I would definately (change that to probably) guess older than the 1870's-90's. The chinking is long gone from between the logs. The style of the cornering of the logs is old style, where the pioneers were smart enough to design them to let moiusture drain out of the joint. I too would guess pre Civil War. You can probably refine your date by examining closely the remaining original square nails on some of the interior boards. There are also ways to date by the remaining chinking (if there's any left) by examining it for horse hair, chicken feathers, etc.
I would definately (change that to probably) guess older than the 1870's-90's. The chinking is long gone from between the logs. The style of the cornering of the logs is old style, where the pioneers were smart enough to design them to let moiusture drain out of the joint. I too would guess pre Civil War. You can probably refine your date by examining closely the remaining original square nails on some of the interior boards. There are also ways to date by the remaining chinking (if there's any left) by examining it for horse hair, chicken feathers, etc.
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traderoftreasures
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
hardly any chinking left. probably was mud. had kept horses, for i have found wagon and harness inside. i'm going to go look with the dfx right now.johnnyi said:
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timekiller
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
Hard to say.But will mention that my Grandfather had one very similar to this one.I tore it down for him I guess 10 years or so ago now.His wifes father built it in the early 1900's.It is a close match in design of this one.I would say yours 1890's if I had to guess.Just by the looks of the planking on the back.I see that nails were also used on it.The older ones I have seen around in my days have wooden pegs in the joints holding them together.Look for something like that.I remember how fast the wood from his burned and very hot.So much resin in the old wood you could smell the stuff as you took it apart.Anyway just my thought.
Ps. I'd put the MD to her though!
Hard to say.But will mention that my Grandfather had one very similar to this one.I tore it down for him I guess 10 years or so ago now.His wifes father built it in the early 1900's.It is a close match in design of this one.I would say yours 1890's if I had to guess.Just by the looks of the planking on the back.I see that nails were also used on it.The older ones I have seen around in my days have wooden pegs in the joints holding them together.Look for something like that.I remember how fast the wood from his burned and very hot.So much resin in the old wood you could smell the stuff as you took it apart.Anyway just my thought.
Ps. I'd put the MD to her though!
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Woodland Detectors
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
1880's I would guess. Have you done your reading? Like, what may have been there before the barn? Might be older than what you think....Always do the homework...mike
1880's I would guess. Have you done your reading? Like, what may have been there before the barn? Might be older than what you think....Always do the homework...mike
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traderoftreasures
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
where would i start, any suggestions thanks, harold4-H said:
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
It's a neat barn, and there should be some great stuff there. The only problem I see is with all the trash metal you will have to go through. There will be hundreds of nails and small metal bit's and pieces. I hunted an old barn like that once. I couldn't put the coil to the soil without it screaming. Metal everywhere.
Good luck on the hunt.
It's a neat barn, and there should be some great stuff there. The only problem I see is with all the trash metal you will have to go through. There will be hundreds of nails and small metal bit's and pieces. I hunted an old barn like that once. I couldn't put the coil to the soil without it screaming. Metal everywhere.
Good luck on the hunt.
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timekiller
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
Like I said hard to say,but I know out here in the rural country areas I've heard the old timers talk about these types of things.How they would use things over and over.Parts of it might be older then other parts.Just was easier to use other parts from other structures.Also the way it looks to be built might not really be that old.Cause places, from the more modern citys of the time, like rural country areas held on to the older traditions longer.Sorta still takes place in today times.Just takes time for newer ways of doing things to find it's way.Back then for sure. Sanborn maps,sometimes GIS maps can help,not sure what other kind for your area.Here I found lots of useful maps that can be brought up on the internet around the water areas.Shows old home sites and when they were there from 1850 on up.
Like I said hard to say,but I know out here in the rural country areas I've heard the old timers talk about these types of things.How they would use things over and over.Parts of it might be older then other parts.Just was easier to use other parts from other structures.Also the way it looks to be built might not really be that old.Cause places, from the more modern citys of the time, like rural country areas held on to the older traditions longer.Sorta still takes place in today times.Just takes time for newer ways of doing things to find it's way.Back then for sure. Sanborn maps,sometimes GIS maps can help,not sure what other kind for your area.Here I found lots of useful maps that can be brought up on the internet around the water areas.Shows old home sites and when they were there from 1850 on up.
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johnnyi
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
Maybe i'm wrong about the age, but it seems you have different dated elements to this barn. The interior building is old style interlocking stout logs, probably once chinked and covered with boards. The overhangs are flimsy in comparison, with some of the uprights based on cement filled 20th century (or at the latest turn of the century) steel buckets.
As well, the outer hinges are of faily new (turn of century) design. But then you look at the upper story of the interior log structure and it appears to have once had windows (yet no floor for an upper story!) That makes no sense if there was always an overhang, and makes no sense for ventilation either (unless the logs were once chinked and boarded over (again suggesting anearlky dated decomposed structure built upon)
Cross beams thread here and there through the log structure with little in common with the structure other than they are just laying where ever they might be able to be fit through. I still think becaue of all these things it might be an older shell to a log structure (even a house) which was used as the nucleus of a latter day flimsily made barn.
Trader of treasure, check the nail head on the wood frame within the upper "windows". These should be original and might tell age if they prove to be forged rather than machine cut.
Maybe i'm wrong about the age, but it seems you have different dated elements to this barn. The interior building is old style interlocking stout logs, probably once chinked and covered with boards. The overhangs are flimsy in comparison, with some of the uprights based on cement filled 20th century (or at the latest turn of the century) steel buckets.
As well, the outer hinges are of faily new (turn of century) design. But then you look at the upper story of the interior log structure and it appears to have once had windows (yet no floor for an upper story!) That makes no sense if there was always an overhang, and makes no sense for ventilation either (unless the logs were once chinked and boarded over (again suggesting anearlky dated decomposed structure built upon)
Cross beams thread here and there through the log structure with little in common with the structure other than they are just laying where ever they might be able to be fit through. I still think becaue of all these things it might be an older shell to a log structure (even a house) which was used as the nucleus of a latter day flimsily made barn.
Trader of treasure, check the nail head on the wood frame within the upper "windows". These should be original and might tell age if they prove to be forged rather than machine cut.
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traderoftreasures
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
there is a floor for the second story. logs laid out. appears to have had the roof and over hangs put on way way later. i have seen some old square nails. i also see wooden pegs. logs are hand hewn. on the barn door all the hinges are homemade none are the same. same with the latches. the door is slightly newer with 1904 carved in it. the logs are notched just like the ones i've seen at new salem st. park. some of the beams in the top are solid one piece, the length of the barn.
there is a floor for the second story. logs laid out. appears to have had the roof and over hangs put on way way later. i have seen some old square nails. i also see wooden pegs. logs are hand hewn. on the barn door all the hinges are homemade none are the same. same with the latches. the door is slightly newer with 1904 carved in it. the logs are notched just like the ones i've seen at new salem st. park. some of the beams in the top are solid one piece, the length of the barn.
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johnnyi
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
traderoftreasures, there is a second story floor on the original log portion? The fact that the older part is hand hewn says something, as you would think these would be either pitsawn cut or circular mill sawn if it were a later date. Obviously much of the rest of the structure is newer, as the exterior logs seem to be milled.
A couple things: first, you can get some more information by taking a good splinter off the oldest portion of the log structure and have the wood identified by species. Compare that wood species to exterior timbers. Even better, take spinters from various hewn logs to see also if the builder used all the same species (in other words, if it was abundant). If the splinters on the log portion match, and if structure was built at once, it would be unusual if all supporting timbers were not of the same species.
Also check the nails closely. This is not a very good link, as there are many subcategories of cut nails which give closer dates, (mercer has the best source, but I have to dig it out of my papers) but compare one of the older nails, such as the upstairs window frame nails, to the chart and maybe you can see at least if they are forged, cut, etc. http://frank.mtsu.edu/~histpres/services/naildating.htm
traderoftreasures, there is a second story floor on the original log portion? The fact that the older part is hand hewn says something, as you would think these would be either pitsawn cut or circular mill sawn if it were a later date. Obviously much of the rest of the structure is newer, as the exterior logs seem to be milled.
A couple things: first, you can get some more information by taking a good splinter off the oldest portion of the log structure and have the wood identified by species. Compare that wood species to exterior timbers. Even better, take spinters from various hewn logs to see also if the builder used all the same species (in other words, if it was abundant). If the splinters on the log portion match, and if structure was built at once, it would be unusual if all supporting timbers were not of the same species.
Also check the nails closely. This is not a very good link, as there are many subcategories of cut nails which give closer dates, (mercer has the best source, but I have to dig it out of my papers) but compare one of the older nails, such as the upstairs window frame nails, to the chart and maybe you can see at least if they are forged, cut, etc. http://frank.mtsu.edu/~histpres/services/naildating.htm
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traderoftreasures
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
i think the nails appear to be hand wrought. i will retrieve some specimens tommorrow, for further inspection. there is a second story on the original log section. i will check but if i remember right most of all the logs are the same exept for a couple of floor replacements. mabye walnut i'll check. i also remember seeing a birds eye birch?
i think the nails appear to be hand wrought. i will retrieve some specimens tommorrow, for further inspection. there is a second story on the original log section. i will check but if i remember right most of all the logs are the same exept for a couple of floor replacements. mabye walnut i'll check. i also remember seeing a birds eye birch?
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Eu_citzen
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Re: can anyone guess the age of this barn?...my new hunting site
Be creative. Even old dairy's can be good.
Maps, library, older people... There are Lot's of good information sources walking around outside your door!!traderoftreasures said:
Be creative. Even old dairy's can be good.
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