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Study of Moldings, Wainscotings, Screws and Nails in the Manor House                                              

                                  

                                 

       

                            (1) 

Study of Moldings, Wainscotings and Screws in the Manor House                                               

                                   By Bobby L Floyd

                                   08/12/2005 

 

 

      All molding on doorframes, wainscoting frames, window frames in both the Bedchambers and Dinning (Period One) room were the same except in the Bedchambers cupboard door framing, Dinning room Buffet frames, window frame in dinning room 6x9 window facing south, and door frame going to Center Passage.

        All moldings in the Center Passage and Parlor (Period Two) are similar to each other.

       All molding upstairs is very plain.

       All three Periods have different distinguishable exterior window moldings.

       The height of wainscoting in Bedchambers and Dinning room (Period one) are the same at 37 inches.

        The height of wainscoting in Center Passage and Parlor (Period Two) are the same at 30 ¾ inches with original faux paint (graining) on them in the Parlor and newer paint over the faux paint (graining) in Center Passage. The Parlor also has fluting on wainscoting.

        The double entrance doors exterior (Period Two) has a different type of faux paint (graining).

        The Bedchamber/Dinning room (Period One) wainscotings vs. Center passage/ Parlor (Period Two) wainscotings are totally different designs (styles).

        The wainscoting in Bedchambers (Period One) west wall extends inside the cupboard 1½ foot.

        The wainscoting on the south wall of Dinning Room under the window has been cut and spliced together (about the size of a doorway).

        The screws in all door hinges downstairs first floor (Period One and Two) have slots in their heads that are off centered and also have no points.

        All screws found up stair (Period Three) in all doors have even slots in heads and have a point except closet door which have slots in their heads that are off centered and also have no points.

The brass knobs over windows and wall to stairs in Period One have no points.

 

Conclusion:

 

Period One and Two having two distinct kinds of molding from each other imply that they were made by different craftsmen, and also suggests they were made and installed at different times.

 

      Period One and Two having two very distinct styles and height of wainscoting implies that they were made by different craftsmen, and also suggest that they were made and installed at different times.

 

      Dinning room buffet was probably added when Period Two was constructed because the molding is similar to Period Two and different than Period One.

 

      Because the wainscoting extends into the bedchambers cupboard and the molding is similar to Period Two, it suggests the door and adjoining wall were added later. Probably when Period Two was constructed.

 

      Because the molding on south side of Dinning Room window is similar to Period Two and different from Period One and the wainscoting being cut and sliced under it suggest that there was a door there and it was removed and replaced with a window. Probably when Period Two was constructed.

 

      The door going from Dinning Room to Center Passage was probable installed there during Period Two because the molding does not correspond to Period One but is similar to Period Two.

 

      The Cupboard door upstairs was not Period Three but period One or Two because the screws found in door hinges were prior to 1847 with off centered slots in their heads and having no points and all other doors hinge screw found upstairs are modern type screw after ca. 1847.

 

Period One and Two were built before ca. 1847 because of the type of screw found in door hinges.

 

     This study is just another factor that helps to validate the three Periods.

 

 

                                                   (2)

Dating Nails Found In the Manor House of the Buttercup Plantation

                                                                                         Study by Bobby L. Floyd

                                                                                         08/12/2005

Utilizing the book Historic Louisiana Nails: Aids to the Dating of Old Building by Jay D. Edwards and Tom Wells.

If the Manor House had at least three different periods of construction then the nail study should help to clarify this.

A total of 35 nails were removed from the Manor House and studied.

This nail study will use the premise that the "heavy use" of nail type to be the approximate construction dates.

 

All the following dates are heavy use dates.

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

PERIOD ONE: Left side facing home, log rafters in basement, Center Passage, Parlor, stairs to half story, and floor on half story.

Quantity 1. Gathered from northeast under weatherboard 4' from ground in side brace. Broken off tip. Some damage under head because of nail puller.

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite------------------------1791-1836

C.       Face pinched------------------------- 1815-1847

D.       Cut faced buttress------------------- 1815- 1847

E.       No point------------------------------

F.        Head flat, corner tipping, near round

Quantity 2. Gathered from stair floor. Floor brad.

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite------------------------1791-1836

C.       N/A

D.       N/A

E.       N/A

F.        L head

 

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite------------------------1791-1836

C.       Face pinched------------------------- 1815-1847

D.       Cut faced buttress--------------------1815-1847

E.       Point rounded------------------------1791-1847

F.        T head

 Quantity 1. Gathered from wallboard in stairs

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs (?)

C.       Face (?)

D.       (?)

E.       Point rounded-------------------------1791-1847

F.        T head

 Quantity 2. Gathered from Dinning Room floor. Floor brad

A.       Cross grained------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite-----------------------1791-1836

C.       N/A

D.       N/A

E.       N/A

F.        L shaped

Quantity 1. Gathered in floor of cupboard up stairs

A.       Cross grained------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite-----------------------1791-1836

C.       N/A

D.       N/A

E.       N/A

F.        L shaped

Period One construction dates is between 1815 and 1836 and all the nails have the same characteristics.

 

PERIOD TWO: Right side facing home, slash sawed rafters in basement, hall connection to parlor on first floor with stairs to half story and floor on half story.

Quantity 1. Gathered from floor in stairs. Floor brad

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite------------------------1791-1836

C.       N/A

D.       N/A

E.       N/A

F.        L shaped

Quantity 1. Gathered from floor in Center Passage downstairs

A.       Cross grained-------------------------1791-1847

B.       Burrs opposite------------------------1791-1836

C.       N/A

D.       N/A

E.       N/A

F.        L shaped

Quantity 2. Gathered from side rafters/knee brace in wall for parlor next to basement steps.

A.       Cross grained--------------------  1791-1847

B.       Burrs same side-----------------   1808-1894

C.       Faced pinched-------------------  1815-1847

D.       Cut face buttress----------------  1815-1847

E.       Point-----------------------------  (?)

F.        Flat head

Quantity 5. Gathered in laths in walls for Parlor and Center Passage, next to basement stairs

A.    Cross grained--------------------    1791-1847

B.       Burrs same side-----------------   1808-1894

C.       Side pinched 1/5 to ¼----------   1792-1836

D.       Face buttress--------------------   1791-1836

E.       Point rounded-------------------   1791-1847

F.        Flat head

Quantity 2. Cupboard Bedchambers in doorframe

A.       Crossed grained--------------- -   1791-1847

B.       Burrs same side-----------------   1808-1894

C.       Side pinched 1/5 to 1/4---------  1791-1836

D.       Face buttress--------------------- 1791-1836

E.       Point rounded ------------------  1791-1847

F.        Flat head

Quantity 1. Gathered from stair wall framing next to door

              A.    Cross grained----------------------    1791-1847

 B.     Burrs (?)

             C.     Side pinched 1/10 to 1/5-------------1791-1836

             D.     Face buttress----------------------    1791-1836

             E.      Point rounded--------------------- -   1791-1847

             F.      Flat head

 

Period Two constructions dates is between 1815 and 1836 and the majority of the nails have the same characteristics but different from Period One.

 

 

 

PERIOD THREE: attic, second story wall, wood shingles and upstairs cupboard

Quantity 6. Gathered from wood shingles under the portico

               A.  In-Line grain---------------------------1834-1894

               B.  Burrs same side----------------------1808-1894

               C.  Pinched---------------------------------(?)

               D.  Face buttress-------------------------1834-1849

               E.  Point not rounded---------------------1834 on

               F.  Most heads rectangle and split in flattop

Quantity 1.Gathered in attic, small board over closet attached to 4 x 6 next to plaster

A.       In-line grain -----------------------1834-1894

B.       Burrs same side-------------------- 1808-1894

C.       Faced pinched----------------------1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress-------------------1815-1894

E.        Point not rounded-----------------1834 on

F.        Flat top head

Quantity 1. Gathered in attic, next to east chimney in rafters/knee brace

A.       In-line grain-----------------------1834-1894

B.       Burrs -------------------------------(?)

C.       Face pinched---------------------- 1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress------------------1815-1894

E.       Point not rounded ----------------1834 on

F.        Flat head

Quantity 1. Gathered in attic, roof board to nail shingle to.

A.       In-line grain------------------------1834-1894

B.       Burrs--------------------------------- (?)

C.       Face pinched------------------------1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress--------------------1815-1894

E.       Point not rounded------------------1834 on

F.        Flat head

Quantity 1. Gathered in second story vertical framing for wall where the new door was placed.

A.       In-line grain-------------------------1834-1894

B.       Burrs same side----------------------1808-1894

C.       Face pinched------------------------ 1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress-------------------  1815-1894

E.       Point not rounded------------------ 1834 on

F.        Flat head

Quantity 1. Gathered in second story door framing for cupboard

A.       In-line grain------------------------- 1834-1894

B.       Burrs same side---------------------  1808-1894

C.       Face pinched------------------------ 1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress-------------------- 1815-1894

E.       Point not rounded ------------------1834 on

F.        Flat head

Quantity 1. Gathered above craw space above back porch in second store vertical beam to seal in wall

A.       In-line grain--------------------------1834-1894

B.       Burrs same side-----------------------1808-1894

C.       Face pinched -------------------------1815-1894

D.       Cut face buttress----------------------(?)

E.       Point not rounded--------------------1834 on

F.        Flat head

 

Period Three-construction date is after ca. 1834.

 

 

Other:

 

Quantity 1. Found in H hinge in batten door to privy/washroom.

A.       Hand forged rose-headed nail with leather under its head was used to clinch the H hinge and other rose-headed nails (not removed) were clinched for the batten door. Room was added after weatherboard was put on house.

 

Quantity 3     Gathered in interior of privy/washroom

  A. Doorframe of privy/washroom

1.        In-line grain---------------1834-1894

2.        Burrs same side------------1808-1894

3.        Pinched--------------------  (?)

4.        Cut face buttress----------1815-1894

5.        Point not rounded--------1834 on

6.        Head flat, 

 

B.       Weatherboard, west side wall boards

1.        In line grain---------------1834-1894

2.        Burrs same side-----------1808-1894

3.        Pinched--------------------(?)

4.        Cut face buttress--------- 1815-1894

5.        Point not rounded--------1834 0n

6.        Head flat, split on top of head

               C.   Wash room wall boards east side

                               1.   In-line grain-----------------1834-1894

                                                                2.   Burrs same side-----------1808-1894

                                                                3.   Face pinched---------------1815-1894

4.   Cut face buttress----------1815-1894

5.   Point not rounded----------1834 on

                                                6.   Flat head.                                         

Because both nails found in privy/washroom correspond to the nails in Period Three it must have been added at the same time.

                              

Quantity 0. All nails associated with the Portico including the ones for the two exterior doors were modern round heads, beginning heavy use 1879.

 

Conclusion:

If the premise that the heavy use of nail type to be the construction date, then the nail study of the Buttercup plantation Manor house suggests that Period One and Two were built after ca. 1815 (Terminus ante quem: The "time before which" a building cannot have existed, because it's original nails were not yet manufactured) but before Period Three (ca. 1834). Because Period One has all the same characteristics and Period Two has majority of its nails with differing characteristics than Period One, they were probably built at different times within the dates of 1815 to 1836. 

 

Period Three was built after ca. 1834 (Terminus ante quem).

 

They were still using hand forged rose-headed nails for clinching in batten doors in ca.1834 because they were found in the batten door of the privy/washroom.

 

The Portico and the two exterior doors upstairs going to it were added after ca. 1879.

 

The nail study is one of the factors that help to validate the three periods of construction within the Manor House of the Buttercup Plantation.