A public historic site can be an ideal place to learn about traditional home-building techniques, but you often can’t do much more than watch a historic interpreter from the other side of a velvet-rope barrier. Not so with the Log Cabin School at James Madison’s Montpelier estate in Orange, Va. Here you can spend an entire week actually recreating the pieces of an early-19th-century timber frame. Here’s an excerpt from the Montpelier website with more details about the program:
Join Montpelier craftsmen in hewing logs to recreate one of the early 19th century slave quarters that was adjacent to the mansion grounds at Montpelier. Participants will spend a week learning woodworking and joinery techniques for the crafting and construction of an early 19th century slave cabin. Based on information derived from archaeological excavations, we will be recreating the cabin that was lived in by Granny Millie (described in Lafayette‘s visit in 1825).
While participating in the program, you will stay in the antebellum plantation house, “Arlington House,” or for those wanting private rooms, there are other housing options at Montpelier and at local B&Bs.
Contact the Director of Archaeology and Landscape Restoration, Matt Reeves, for more information at: [email protected]
You can find out more about this and other Montpelier Archaeology Expedition programs at www.montpelier.org.
Also, read more about the extensive restorations at Montpelier in these articles from the Fine Homebuilding archives:
Beneath the Surface at Montpelier
An inside look at the restoration of a house that made history
Modern techniques restore a historic house
There’s no point in living in the past, so use these techniques to bring an old structure into the present
Montpelier’s Walls Take Shape
A look at the lath walls and ceilings that make up James Madison’s home
Restoring Montpelier’s Exterior
Preserving a historic home brick-by-brick
Restoring Montpelier’s Historic Framing
Another chance for Montpelier’s wood beams to shine
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You could be working alongside restoration experts to rebuild these historic structrures at James Madison's Montpelier.
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Montpelier's south yard once contained a kitchen, two smokehouses, and three duplex slave quarters, which are all being reconstructed based on archaeological findings.
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Now this would be a class I would definitely attend! I've been thinking about building a storage shed in my yard and a tutorial or class like this would be perfect to learn more before I actually give things a go!