I am looking for sources of information about traditional southern timber framing techniques. The house frames I have seen down here in Georgia are different than what I read about from New England. I find large hewn sills, corner principle posts often hewn to an "L" shaped cross section, sawn studs morticed into the plate and sill, braces down from corner posts to sills, common rafters, etc. All first growth southern yellow pine (Heart Pine), including the pegs.

I have found very little information on this framing style. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gabel Holder

Gabel,
Perhaps you have "uncovered" a design paradigm unique to the south. It strikes me as a logical thing to survey one or more of these structures using TTRAG standards. Check with Rudy Christian for more info. My experience shows variations as you progress from New England to the west into NY state and farther. My own ancestral home in Cayuga NY (built 1804-1811) has a local oak frame with some unique corner (corner post to sill) joinery I have seen nowhere else. Most of the technique differences I have observed for structures 1775-1825 can somewhat logically be tied to the skill source of the builder. Were they shipwrights or European school trained carpenters ? The shipwrights tended to use more massive beamery and more complex joinery with opposing direction pegs drive at "funny" angles. Some of this traditional shipwright technique can be found in an inverted ship reconstructed in a museum in Nova Scotia.
Emmett

Gabel,

It sounds like you are looking at "tidewater" timber frames. We have had a couple presenters at Guild conferences who have focused on this variation. I wouldn't be surprised if there is an article or two in Timber Framing about this style too. You might check your index or contact Ken Rower about it.

Good luck with your research and please do fill out surveys on the buildings you study. You can download a "short survey form" from the Guild website page http://tfguild.org/ttrag.html.

Great to "hear" from you!

Rudy

Hey there Gable

I know bugger-all about Southern frames, but I've always found it useful to think about where the original builders came from: this sometimes gives an insight into the tools, techniques and construction traditions that the builders had to call upon. While there may not be much information about the frames of Georgia, it could be that these relate to a European tradition that has some good info? Rude Rudy might know.