From a builder’s contract in 1638:
“Concerning the frame of the house…I am indeferent whether it be 30 foote or 35 foote longe: 16 or 18 foote broad. I would have wood chimneys at each end, the frames of the chimneys to be stronger than ordinary, to beare good heavy load of clay for security against fire. You may let the chimneys by all the breadth of the howse if you thinke good: the 2 lower dores to be in the middle of the howse, one opposite the other. Be sure that al the dorewaies in every place be soe high that any man may goe upright under. The staiers I think had best be placed close by the dore. It makes noe great matter though there be noe particion upon the first flore; if there be, make one biger than the other. For windows let them not be over large in any roome, & as few as conveniently may be; let all have current shutting draw-windowes, having respect both to present & future use. I thinke to make it a girt howse will make it more chargeable than neede; however the side bearers for the second story, being to be loaden with corne &c. must not be pinned on, but rather eyther let in to the studs or borne up with false studs, and soe tenanted in at the ends. I leave it to you & the carpenters. In this story over the first, I would have a particion, whether in the middest or over the particion under, I leave it. In the garrett noe particion, but let there be one or two lucome windows, if two, both on one side. I desire to have the spars reach downe pretty deep at the eves to preserve the walls the better from the wether, I would have it sellered all over and soe the frame of the howse accordingly from the bottom. I would have the howse stronge in timber, though plaine & well brased. I would have it covered with very good oake-hart inch board, for the present, to be tacked on onely for the present as you tould me. Let the frame begin from the bottom of the cellar & soe in the ordinary way upright, for I can hereafter (to save the timber within grounde) run up a think brick worke without. I think it best to have the walls without to be all clapboarded besides the clay walls. It were not amisse to leave a doorway or two within the seller, that soe herafter on may make comings in from without.”
From the book “In Small Things Forgotten” by James Deetz.
Replies
And somehow mankind survived.....
It all makes sense to me....LOL
Gimme a 50% deposit, and I'll put it on the schedule.
I like having a little leeway in the design.
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
Wonder why Piffin never posted pictographs of that in the gallery?
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Because he doesn't want us to know where he lives...PaulB
http://www.finecontracting.com
I'm betting he grew up as a young man of Lascaux'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb
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Last couple days been demolishing and old house that has been added on to many times. We fiqure the first house is about 100 years old about 12x 20. We ripped down the ceiling bead board 1x3 2x4 REAL about 3 foot oc. Serious bowing, wood chip insulation, not much.Some of the studs are used and by the looks 2-3 times. Ship lap in and out 0 insulation.The many additons are exposed in the roof and what a ####,
Had to throw out some beautiful old clear fir trim, no knots. but lead paint.Thanks for the article, shows the inherint trust in the trades.
Actually that gives me a very clear picture of what he wanted built.
Everything should be so easy.
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Yeah, I suppose it does. Something tells me it would be a tough sell down at building safety.
Yup, the man has thought it through and is ready to proceed.
built a house this summer that started as a sketch the customer made on the back of a calendar.
There were a few stages between that and the start of construction.
I wonder where in the planning process this description fit in? Maybe other details came later on.
j
Throughout history most cultures have had one house form, the construction of which was understood by all the builders, and only slight modifications were done to it. A door or window looked like this, a column like this. Describing what you wanted was as simple as saying in which way you wanted a few things changed - much like choosing options at a car dealer. Any builder of the time would have found those instructions a model of clarity and proceeded to get on with it.
I wish all of our clients could define their program so thoroughly and yet leave so much room for creativity.
The spelling looks about par for the course though--
Do you happen to know if there ever were "plans", i.e. anything drawn? Or was everything textual?
That contract was written in 1638.
The first lawyer arrived in America in 1639.
By 1640 the contract was 60 pages long.
Runnerguy
amen