DD has an old house, built about 1860, originally as a parsomage, sold about 1920, and some where along the line converted to a 2 family. Have a map dated 1865 showing the house.
eventually she would like to convert it back to a one family.
the town where she lives had a fire at the town hall in 1970 and all the records were burnt up.
any ideas on how to figure out the original layout?
I did a small search and there is stuff out there, like buying a lot of books with floor plans, but there must be some techniques to help figure out original floorplans.
I’m assumimng the basic structure is ballon framed, but I don’t really know when platform framing came into use.
Replies
try looking at the floors - you want to see if the pattern is consistent or keeps going at a wall, or if the pattern changes without a wall - other thing is to go into basement/attic and try to match the framing to the walls
balloon framing was used until at least the 20s/30s around here, parents' house built around 1925, balloon framed - think platform framing started in the 40s - could be wrong
from one of my arch books ('Conserving Buildings'):
Balloon framing was first used in the U.S. in either 1833 for St. Mary's Church in Chicago, or 1832 for a warehouse (also in Chicago). It revolutionized construction because previous wood frame construction meant a lot of mortice and tenon joints, requiring highly skilled carpenters. Platform framing evolved later to reduce fires that traveled all the way up the walls in balloon framing.
Remember from classes that platform framing started somewhere in the 1920's (the book doesn't give a date). I know my house was built in the 1920's, and I think it's balloon framed. About 8'-6" first floor and 7'-6" second floor . . . I think they did it this way to make the first floor ('public' floor) more spacious.
Question: do you really want to recreate the original floor plan? Would be interesting from a historical perspective, but plans have evolved since the 1800's. Sitting rooms, tiny closets, kitchen layouts, etc. have changed a lot since then. If the existing interior walls are no longer there, it seems like you may be recreating something that doesn't function well in this time period.
will she go back to the original floor plan? I doubt it.but knowing what it was originally will help her determine what she will want to do.This is a long range plan, since she expects to have tenants for a while.but let me give you an eaxample, when you enter the front door, there is a wall right in front of you, a set of stairs up to the secon floor on your right and a door into the first floor on your left.I don't expect that when this was a parsonage it looked like that, but there was some sort of foyer at the front door.the upstairs dining room has a built in china cabinet, but it doesn't seem to me to make sense that there was a dining room on the second floor when this was built, but...so, as she slowly updats the house she would like to do it without having to redo something.
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Good friends of mine across the street growing up were sons of a Methodist minister. My FIL is also a retired Presbyterian minister (interesting piece of trivia . . . he's the same minister that married Dick Cheney and his wife in Wyoming a zillion years ago . . .). Point is, life of a minister is a very public affair, church members always coming and going, 24 hour job, etc.. Would imagine a former parsonage to originally have spaces in the front dedicated to very 'public' uses, meetings, places for visitors to sit, etc.. Dining room on the first floor, stairs nearby for easy access, an entry that 'greeted' people. Sounds like this isn't what the house is now.My thoughts (for what little they're worth) would be to locate the structure, windows, identify built-ins and other features to remain, then sketch out a plan that works around it all. Try to get her to fall in love with the idea, then get her to go for as much as possible. Maybe even get her involved with color/material selection so she'll take more ownership of the process. Keep it simple, but do it in as big a chunk as she can take.Understand the long-range plan concept, but what I've found with 'long-range clients' is that they often become 'long range dreamers.' They spend years always thinking that they'll start work soon, and 'soon' never arrives. And a good economic incentive is the fact that renters are involved. It'll be constant headache finding them for a house that's alien and odd, rent will need to be kept lower to attract tenants, and as long as anyone is there it'll be an excuse to continually put things off. I had owned a rental for ten years before selling it last year, and it bites finding good tenants. Were times where I would've taken considerably less in rent to get good quality tenants I could trust.Sounds like a nice place. Right attitude, wrong plan of attack maybe? Just my two cents worth.
Edited 11/22/2005 1:56 pm ET by draftguy
"more ownership of the process"this is her babyjust Dad meddling trying to help
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Is the church still in existence? They usually have scrapbooks commemorating every possible event throughout their histories. That might be a good spot to begin.
What fun! Good luck, & welcome to BT!
Oh, yeah, me, too ! Welcome to BreakTime !
(Kate, he's been here for years and has almost 6,000 posts)
Greg
Yeah, I know...the welcome was for his DD & her old house...I should have said, "Welcome your DD to the world of old houses." Bet bobl could read my mind!
DD has been to the church, in fact someone there was enthuseastic, but not much info available. Think she also tried the historic society, without much luck.she is planning to see what she can find at the registry odf deds.thanks for the welcome
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Platform framing was originally called "Western framing", and was well established out here by the 1920's. I've worked on a two story platform house that was built in 1911, and seen others from 1901 and 1903.
As for figuring out the original floor plan, you need a cross between extremely careful exploratory demo and archaeology. Look for places where plaster may have been patched around a new door or window. Look for flooring or trim that may have been cut by someone with a different level of skill than the original carpenter. Look for walls that may have been added on top of finished flooring. Look for nail holes in the subfloor that may indicate where a partition sole plate once was -- stuff like that.
If there's a local historical society, they may have old photographs or other resources.
-- J.S.
I am a custom homebuilder. We are a design / build company, designing many of the homes we build.
I would consider strongly the points that have been made by draftguy about the function and plan of older homes versus more modern floor plans. I would certainly try to create a more modern and functional floor plan without losing the character and style of yesteryear. Period trim, cabinets and ascetic items can be used to reinforce and bring out the age and original character of the home, without sacrifice of floor plan.