Gable, since my first visit to this fourm I have learned much. I am still learning. Some of my comments may be a bit off that is for sure. In some ways I am just thinking aloud, with a base of common sense.
In the span of 25-50 years of the development of square rule, with the use of snap lines, things changed rapidly. That span of time is only half the life of a person, not long at all. Most people saw the changes and moved along with them and adding to them. I think this works in with the "Great Transition". I hear there is work in print on that, as well as the artical on snap line square rule coming our way via Timber Framing.
The town of Machias, where I grew up has a historical building cared for by the Daughters of the American Revolution. It is a dated building via specific records. It was built in 1770, the majority of the timber is sawn with a few hewn pieces. It is not square rule. The town was settled in 1763, when the French was driven out. The French settlement was not much, no development, more of just a presence. The saw mill was the first first priority. There was a huge presence of saw mills up and down the coast. Powered by rivers as well as the tide. lots of the mills were just temporary, and moved from tide pond to tide pond as the timber was cut and the land exposed. This is all within the dates we are talking about. So sawn stock was avaliable to aid in the development of square rule. In my limited literature I find no specific mention of only hewn timber, but I do see sawn and hewn used together, suggesting it was used on both and in the long run sawn timber became the predominant material allowing the snap lines to be lost as well.
Here is the odd thing. Most of the old farm buildings I see have a mix of sawn and hewn stock and almost all are scribed. The exception is the town buildings Hall and Churches, these are square ruled.
By the way, in the War of 1812, Machias and the surrounding area was taken over by the British, becoming British territory.
I would like to hear more on SLSR and it's history. Tim
