Log and Timber Frame Spring House

[lazy-river]

There has been some discussion and interest in small outbuildings lately and I thought I would share with the group a tear down from this past summer.  The structure was an 8x16 corner-post log and timber spring house.  8x8 corner post log, with 16ft rafter plates. The other 8ft is the timber frame part of the spring house.




The carpenter ants were having their way with this structure and I tore it down basically to document.  I find this to be helpful in my own building.  Central Pennsylvania has many corner-post log houses, but this was by far the smallest and most unique building of the corner-post method that I have ever seen.  The corner posts on this building had individual mortices for each log.  Some corner posts are grooved and then the logs are set up with blocks, then pinned.  I can try to post a few more pics if there is interest.

[Furby]

Sure there's interest!

[thecfarm]

What is a timber spring house?

[lazy-river]

Sorry, that should read "timber frame spring house".  more pics....



You can see that the building had some grade issues.  the road and the sidewalk kept rising, but the building did not.  I would have like to take this down 5 or 10 years ago.




here is a shot of the one rafter plate.

[Jayson]

Very cool building. Thanks for the pics. Anymore pics of little buildings out there? I think the reason they are of interest to me is the fact that that so much work go into them.

[Tony_T]

When I think of Spring House I think of an enclosure for a cistern/spring box.  Is there a cistern below the structure?

[lazy-river]

No, there is not.  This was once a spring house, but when I tore it down, it was only a well house.  The owner was going to have it razed, and I stepped in to take it down for what little materials were left, plus the ability to document this unique structure.
I suspect that the well was drilled after this structure was in place.  the one rafter plate was cut at an angle and I think taken off for the drilling, then put back.  there are always a few mysteries with these types of buildings.

Anyone have any other pics of corner-post log houses?

I will try to post some other pics of a summer kitchen that I will be saving in the future.  It has a nice sandstone chimney with an oak lintel over the hearth.

Andy