I enjoyed your thrill at the mortise&tennon. Anthropomorphizing the carriage house was I think, adorable. The trunks are twenties(?) "steamers". The old foundation may have been the original or ancestral home, lived in while the big house was being built, then perhaps used as slave quarters til the mid 1800s. The brick has a slight taper, which suggest a hand operated 2pc mold, Ca~pre-industrial revolution. The pan was too quick on the fireplace remains- was it central to a wall, or in a corner?
The workshop appears by educated guess to be the remains of a wheelwright, and farrier's shop, mid to late 1800s. A necessity in horse drawn days. There were many almost-clues, that if I'd seen them in person, I could have been more definite. That is a farrier vice, but woodwrights made and used them as Since you did not pan up, I could see no sign of ceiling bellowwell. I saw a rocking clinker grate, indicating coal usage, but that could be as new as the '50s.
The round hole in the chimney could have been for a smoke hood, or for a 2nd-3rd-4th fire source. The loose bricked hearth, and the absence of vents in a raised ash door, could be indicators of a Roman style floor air induction system, meaning outside mounted bellow or fans. Since you did not pan up, I could see no sign of ceiling bellows, which would also indicate it all being older. Was there a hole in the bottom of the "cauldron"?
If it was solid bottomed, for sure, then that's a better indicator for a candle factory. Fabric handling in a room with a wood lathe? Very unlikely. The building was probably not a cooperage, unless the property was a production vineyard. Indoors distilleries were frowned on for the fire hazard, but not an impossibility either.
Were there one or two large fire pits outside, off of a front corner, about 20-30 feet away from the building? If there were, and about 7 feet in diameter, would clinch it as a wheelwright's. If there were, and only 3-4 feet in diameter, it was a cooperage.
A filming note, your cell phone's automated signal check is corrupting your recordings. You should turn it completely off when shooting.
Neat! I never knew that about the fire pits. Sadly nothing currently visible, but that's not to day that thing's haven't been plowed over and reseeded. And thanks for the tip on the cell phone. Will do!
The fire pits would be to bring an entire finished wrought iron ring up to 700-900 degrees, expanding it, to place on the wooden wheel, and shrink into place, binding all of the unglued parts together. There is a similar need in coopering. But those pits are not going to be there.
vineyards are common in the area today, but there's no evidence of this property having been such. The thought for the laundry was that it -had- been a lundry and was converted into a workshop at a later date.
I was unsure that the cauldron was not a foundry vessel. With no hole in the bottom, all of my farrier's shop guesses are wrong. It's looking far more like the outer part of a double boiler. This could be used for laundry, canning, and candle making. Imitation Cognac is also a possibility, but very unlikely. The lathe, though the right vintage, wouldn't have been original, if the oven area was.
I didn't see any evidence for ceiling bellows, and actually some of the ceiling had modern(-ish) ceiling tiles installed. The cauldron has no hole. Interestingly when I returned to the site the next week for a tour of the interior, the summer kitchen in the basement of the older portion of the house has a similar configuration with cauldron next to hearth, but with additional ovens next to that.
If these ovens were built during the civil war, my vote is for a country canning factory, to help feed the troops. There was a demand for newfangled canned fruit, as it had been discovered as a prevention and treatment for scurvy. A half of a peach a week, could save a soldier's life.
Farrier's shop sounds like a real possibility, as this structure is located along the probably path of the old rive, between the house and the carriage house and stables. Mid to late 1800s is also a perfect date to go along with the expansion of the main house which has kicthens and servants quarters in the "old" 1835 portion, and a new mansion built 1850s or so added to the front..
i think the main building foundation would have been a bunk house for workers on a very large farm, and the white building probably the cook house come laundry.
I think some digging in the records might help on some of this: Who were the original owners? What kind of farming were they doing then? Are they any census records for the occupants that would show number/type of servants? If someone was living in various outbuildings, perhaps that would be noted, too.
I say the main purpose of the heated kettle-thing is laundry - the paddle is even there. But they certainly could have been doing other workshop activities there contemporaneously, or later.
Interesting what kinds of stuff brings people to say (quote) "I've never seen anything so gorgeous in my life". A beautiful dress, diamonds, a piece of art? Or a derelict building. :)
My first thought on the foundation: a building for part of the family. Or, if it was less luxuruous, for staff members.
Good thoughts! Yes, I'm leaning towards staff/farm labourers myself. Next week I may have a chance to dig up some of the town records, see what I can find...
2 - The while building. My money is on a general purpose workshop, though metal-working seems most likely.
3 - the brick structure - I'm actually guessing some kind of metal furnace, maybe even a small scale foundry (hard to say without knowing more of the area). It seems the right size for smelting metal and there was a little metal tool sitting on it that would have been right for a mold.
1) Foundation - i wasn't clear how far from the main house it was. Depending on the distance, I would guess either some kind of additional staff quarters or if it was closer, maybe a kitchen. I've seen in sites down in Atlanta that the kitchen was some times external to prevent a fire from damaging the main house.
I enjoyed your thrill at the mortise&tennon. Anthropomorphizing the carriage house was I think, adorable. The trunks are twenties(?) "steamers". The old foundation may have been the original or ancestral home, lived in while the big house was being built, then perhaps used as slave quarters til the mid 1800s. The brick has a slight taper, which suggest a hand operated 2pc mold, Ca~pre-industrial revolution. The pan was too quick on the fireplace remains- was it central to a wall, or in a corner?
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
The workshop appears by educated guess to be the remains of a wheelwright, and farrier's shop, mid to late 1800s. A necessity in horse drawn days. There were many almost-clues, that if I'd seen them in person, I could have been more definite. That is a farrier vice, but woodwrights made and used them as Since you did not pan up, I could see no sign of ceiling bellowwell. I saw a rocking clinker grate, indicating coal usage, but that could be as new as the '50s.
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
The round hole in the chimney could have been for a smoke hood, or for a 2nd-3rd-4th fire source. The loose bricked hearth, and the absence of vents in a raised ash door, could be indicators of a Roman style floor air induction system, meaning outside mounted bellow or fans. Since you did not pan up, I could see no sign of ceiling bellows, which would also indicate it all being older. Was there a hole in the bottom of the "cauldron"?
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
If it was solid bottomed, for sure, then that's a better indicator for a candle factory. Fabric handling in a room with a wood lathe? Very unlikely. The building was probably not a cooperage, unless the property was a production vineyard. Indoors distilleries were frowned on for the fire hazard, but not an impossibility either.
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
Were there one or two large fire pits outside, off of a front corner, about 20-30 feet away from the building? If there were, and about 7 feet in diameter, would clinch it as a wheelwright's. If there were, and only 3-4 feet in diameter, it was a cooperage.
A filming note, your cell phone's automated signal check is corrupting your recordings. You should turn it completely off when shooting.
I'm enthused to see more!
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
Neat! I never knew that about the fire pits. Sadly nothing currently visible, but that's not to day that thing's haven't been plowed over and reseeded. And thanks for the tip on the cell phone. Will do!
GirlArchaeologist 2 years ago
The fire pits would be to bring an entire finished wrought iron ring up to 700-900 degrees, expanding it, to place on the wooden wheel, and shrink into place, binding all of the unglued parts together. There is a similar need in coopering. But those pits are not going to be there.
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
vineyards are common in the area today, but there's no evidence of this property having been such. The thought for the laundry was that it -had- been a lundry and was converted into a workshop at a later date.
GirlArchaeologist 2 years ago
I was unsure that the cauldron was not a foundry vessel. With no hole in the bottom, all of my farrier's shop guesses are wrong. It's looking far more like the outer part of a double boiler. This could be used for laundry, canning, and candle making. Imitation Cognac is also a possibility, but very unlikely. The lathe, though the right vintage, wouldn't have been original, if the oven area was.
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
I didn't see any evidence for ceiling bellows, and actually some of the ceiling had modern(-ish) ceiling tiles installed. The cauldron has no hole. Interestingly when I returned to the site the next week for a tour of the interior, the summer kitchen in the basement of the older portion of the house has a similar configuration with cauldron next to hearth, but with additional ovens next to that.
GirlArchaeologist 2 years ago
If these ovens were built during the civil war, my vote is for a country canning factory, to help feed the troops. There was a demand for newfangled canned fruit, as it had been discovered as a prevention and treatment for scurvy. A half of a peach a week, could save a soldier's life.
DonQuixotedeKaw 2 years ago
Farrier's shop sounds like a real possibility, as this structure is located along the probably path of the old rive, between the house and the carriage house and stables. Mid to late 1800s is also a perfect date to go along with the expansion of the main house which has kicthens and servants quarters in the "old" 1835 portion, and a new mansion built 1850s or so added to the front..
GirlArchaeologist 2 years ago
i think the main building foundation would have been a bunk house for workers on a very large farm, and the white building probably the cook house come laundry.
tersse 2 years ago
I think some digging in the records might help on some of this: Who were the original owners? What kind of farming were they doing then? Are they any census records for the occupants that would show number/type of servants? If someone was living in various outbuildings, perhaps that would be noted, too.
I say the main purpose of the heated kettle-thing is laundry - the paddle is even there. But they certainly could have been doing other workshop activities there contemporaneously, or later.
Robespierrette 2 years ago
Is the main house from about the same year as the 1835 barn?
JohanCLont 2 years ago
Interesting what kinds of stuff brings people to say (quote) "I've never seen anything so gorgeous in my life". A beautiful dress, diamonds, a piece of art? Or a derelict building. :)
My first thought on the foundation: a building for part of the family. Or, if it was less luxuruous, for staff members.
Natuurfilmpjes 2 years ago
Good thoughts! Yes, I'm leaning towards staff/farm labourers myself. Next week I may have a chance to dig up some of the town records, see what I can find...
GirlArchaeologist 2 years ago
(not enough characters in comments. :) )
2 - The while building. My money is on a general purpose workshop, though metal-working seems most likely.
3 - the brick structure - I'm actually guessing some kind of metal furnace, maybe even a small scale foundry (hard to say without knowing more of the area). It seems the right size for smelting metal and there was a little metal tool sitting on it that would have been right for a mold.
Great vids. Keep up the good work. :)
ninjaduck3k 2 years ago
Okay, these are just some ideas:
1) Foundation - i wasn't clear how far from the main house it was. Depending on the distance, I would guess either some kind of additional staff quarters or if it was closer, maybe a kitchen. I've seen in sites down in Atlanta that the kitchen was some times external to prevent a fire from damaging the main house.
ninjaduck3k 2 years ago