Thank you Will for the information. It has cleared up a lot. And that link to the history of lumber book is a great find!
And neat to hear contemporary builders are using this system today.
This "CG" (connected girt) system may be a northern New England practice as you say, but funny that TIMBEAL, who lives in Maine has not seen it before. I think Tim is in Washington County, right Tim?? (far eastern Maine). This helps illustrate how Maine is not the homogeneous state many believe it to be. The state differs greatly north and south of Bangor (you wont find the "Maine accent" north of here)... and I think that's largely true as far purlin systems go too. Can you comment Tim?
As many know, the north of the state is French-Canadian, the south is English in terms of settlment patterns. Bangor is a good dividing line.
Tim, as far as the purlin systems in these CG barns I've visited, the purlins are flush w/ the top of the rafters. In fact, the latest one, which is supposedly dated to 1880, has a sawed frame, yet the purlins (and only the purlins) are hand hewn...
I agree that lining up that many tenons for the next bent must be alot to handle. Makes me think the purlins have just a haunch set in a pocket of the rafter and not a true mortise and tenon like the girts in the walls.
