Hand hewed beams?

Ted in NE-OH · Jun 8, 2016

I looked at a house that had hand hewed beams, so it must have been built before___________? When did they stop hewing beams in the Midwest (Ohio)?

Steve@Advance · Jun 8, 2016

That's got to be really old! Or someone had a lot of time and energy to spend!

Did you get a chance to look at the nails? They give a better clue as to the age.

http://www.uvm.edu/histpres/203/nails.html

funky_g00 · Jun 8, 2016

If I had to guess prior to 1800, only because the industrial revolution was in full swing by the mid 1800's, making the possibility of a sawmill likely/easily accessible. If you can tell it was hand sawn as well as hewn then it is prior to 1750.

Ted in NE-OH · Jun 8, 2016

Can't be that old as this area was settled in 1801

JD Seller · Jun 8, 2016

A good rule of thumb is Mid 1800s for hand hewed house beams. Sawed lumber was more common by the civil war. Large beams where still hand hewed up until the early 1900s. as many of the beam where too large to move with the common equipment most barn builders had. It was easier to drag the tree to the barn site and start chopping over hauling it to a saw mill and then back again.

Ted in NE-OH · Jun 8, 2016

Thanks

JD Seller · Jun 8, 2016

Another way is the nails used. Square nails where common up until the mid 1870s or so. Then you started seeing round "factory" nails. Then the next thing is gas lighting plumbing in the walls. That was around 1890-1900. Then the old Delco electric systems where common in the 1920-30s.

Richard G. · Jun 9, 2016

We have a cabin on the place that has a huge hewed beam holding up a half loft. It came out of a house built in the 1790's. The square floor joists notched into it were hewed in 2001.
Steam driven sawmills were not prevalent until late 1800's. Pit saws were used before that for a lot for lumber.
My son just moved a barn to the state ag museum that has hewed corner posts and floor joists and it was built about 1900. He got the roof and siding on it this week. Pics are of the barn.
Richard in NW SC

Bret4207 · Jun 9, 2016

I can't speak to Ohio and it's specifics, but I know my house and barn were built in the 1880-90 era. Hand hewn barn beams, square nails, evidence of both sash type and circle sawmills on the dimensioned lumber. Something else I noticed is that some of my beams in the house and barn obviously came from another structure that must have been torn down and reused.

My point is that it's not always as simple as it seems to determine when a building was put up. Old newspapers and tax records might be the most reliable sources.

David G · Jun 9, 2016

The old house that was on my place built in 1850-1870 had hand hewn

Eastern Iowa

showcrop · Jun 9, 2016

My house and barn along with many others in town are hand hewn post and beam.

Hand hewed beams?

Ted in NE-OH

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Steve@Advance

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funky_g00

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Ted in NE-OH

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JD Seller

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Ted in NE-OH

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JD Seller

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Richard G.

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Bret4207

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David G

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showcrop

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