The barns are from the 1790-1820 era, and are located in Gray, Maine (20 minutes north of Portland). The rafters sit directly atop the crossties, which are directly over the posts.
It really is odd for this area. Their age leads me to think it's an old english carry-over... You know, the forests of England couldn't supply really long timbers for continuous plates. These barns here in Gray are 50 and 60 feet long. Perhaps these builders were more familiar w/ an older method??
