In the 1870s, Joseph M. Grugan of Lockhaven, Pennsylvania left his German family and moved to Olympia, Washington. In 1889 he built my house. He was the foreman of the westside mill in town.

The two-story house is constructed with rough-hewn 14-16 inch wide planks between 1 and 2 inches thick arranged vertically around the entire house from foundation to roof-line. I imagine the planks were originally butted up against each other, but after 115 years some shrinkage may have occurred with up to a half-inch gap between some planks. The outside siding, clear cedar tongue and groove about 2 inches thick serves as the horizontal support for the structure. The interior walls are just wallpaper over the rough-hewn planks. Of course the electrical wiring was an after thought many years later and is run through conduit along the baseboards. There is no wallpocket. The house was built with square nails. The floor joists are also these wide rough-hewn planks. There is only one small interior wall in the house that could possibly be loading supporting, and it consists entirely of rough-hewn plank.

I don't know anything about timber framing. Can you tell me what the official name is for this type of construction? Everyone says "balloon framing," but when I look at illustrations of that, it certainly does not look the same. When did this style of construction go out of style? The man who built the house was born in the 1840s.

The ceilings are wide beadboard covered with aesthetic green calcimine powder. A kitchen was added on before 1909 that does have a small wall pocket with fire stops. In the kitchen, the interior walls are the same as the outside horizontal siding, except arranged vertically. It is coated with the same aesthetic olive-green color, except is oil paint. Is this what they used to call a "summer kitchen"?

In the kitchen is a very strange old abandoned chimney. It is supported by a wood frame holding up the brick chimney. What are those types of chimneys called?

Thanks for any help.