I have been investigating the history of a timber frame meeting house in Guilford Vermont for some time. It was originally constructed in 1788, then dismantled and reconstituted in the late 1830s. There is a brief history, some pictures and framing sketches posted here:

http://www.ltrr.arizona.edu/~cbaisan/Vermont/Guilford_Center_MH.pdf

The roof structure is rafters set in a ridgepole over queen post trusses. The trusses have a center timber hung from the top chord and set in the bottom chord in a dovetail mortise with a wedge. Is this truss style something that others have seen before and if so where?

My nephew who has some familiarity with such things has not seen it before - he at first assumed it (the central timber) had been added when the building was re-constituted to strengthen the truss, but it is in fact part of the original design.

Thanks for any feedback and apologies for my lack of familiarity with the proper terms of description.

CB