Chase mortises I know, pulley and lateral threw me.

I’ve come across vertical variations in barns on rare occasion –



This particular barn was plumb full of them, some at either entry to insert and easily remove a bar across the open doors, to keep the stock either in or out.

The same barn, a typical NE Gable Entry, had an open chase mortise opposite a rectilinear mortise at the floor level in all the arcade posts, for the temp seasonal insertion of thresholds to aid in converting the drive bay to a threshing floor. This allowed the thresholds to be stowed away for the bulk of the year, so they didn’t get beat up and so there were no trippers.

All the removable pieces had long since been lost, or more likely reused as the barns use changed over time. I kept an eye peeled as we worked on the frame for a reused piece, but never turned one up.

Nice example Will.

Where was/is the barn?

It’s a shot up the hill from the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds.

I’ve spoken of this Barn before, it’s the enigma of a frame I mentioned in the “no continuous” thread, with the hewing out of place (in a town full of rivers and mills) and the braces cut with some wild out of time table saw.



I’ve seen chase morts a handful of times in other frames peppered around the state, but this is the only time I've come across braces cut in this fashion - note the slight over-penetration of the blade that cut the shoulder side cheek of the tenon - all the braces shared this - though the one pictured has one of the deeper bare faced side reductions.