Ken, a dissertation does sound lengthy. This is all great stuff. I will continue to keep a open mind and a watchfull eye for such subtle details. I have not used a race knife, I wonder how dry a timber has to be before it is to difficult to mark with a race knife? I am seeing older frames with chisel marks and they are original markings. I see alot of 1" and 2" chisel marks. These systems are very simple as are the frames. Most of the boarding has a counting system marked via race knife, from the milling operation.

I am continuing to read on my local history and life here is the later 1700's and early 1800's was a difficulte existance. This area was not much for agriculture, mostly timber and fishing, even hay was imported, in some locations, for the working cattle. So, great barns are few. The sea captains had great houses.

As a side, what is the beginning date of balloon framing? Tim