Built in 1830 ? (was Dating 18th/19th century Details)

[jharkin]

Floor detail...

[gregV]

[jharkin]

Interseting....

I am liking your theory Greg. I definitely have to go look up the old deeds.

Of course this may mean I installed the wrong reproduction door latches in the front hall !

[jharkin]

Some new info....

I got in touch with the previous owner (found his email, in the stack of papers they left for us).

#1 - It turns out that the entire second chimney, stack hearth, etc was entirely painted white when they moved in. They scrubbed and removed the paint, which I think left the brick there looking a bit more washed out and worn.




#2 Also he confirmed that they did rebuild the central chimney down to the floor, and mentioned that the original chimney was actually smaller so it sounds like indeed there may never have been a third fireplace. Em going to see if he recalls any more specifics.

[gregV]

Cool Jeremy.
Was thinking earlier today about how your "modern" kitchen must have been used. Wondering if in fact there was a cooking stove there with the stove pipe going up into the firebox flue. That to me doesn't make sense and I think that small firebox was built just to use with a reflector oven and that the stove and stovepipe where someplace else. ??? Not sure why they would build a firebox just to place a stove in front of. So, ...is there any way to find out if there is a stovepipe hole somewhere in that stack? I might have even thought that it could have been in the center chimney stack but that would make the cooking area just way to big. Also, in looking at this stack, I'm not seeing room for a stove AND a reflector oven. Hmmmm.... should be fun to figure out.
Time to get into the documentation Jeremy! I've been doing quite a bit this last week myself and hope to get an appointment with the CT Historical Society to look over some documents they have that belonged to the family that was in my house.
By the way, I meant to ask, is that a snake in your oven? ?? What is that thing? Haaa

[Ron in Nebr]

No kidding- I thought that was a snake when I looked at it too!

Back to the topic, specifically where there is no sign of shingles where the ell is located- would it be possible that the whole roof on the original structure had to be replaced at some point, from storm damage or even fire damage? Here in Nebraska it's not unheard of for a tornado to rip a roof off a house and leave most of the rest of the structure in fixable condition. If so, they coulda just thought "well, as long as we're replacing the roof, let's add on another room also"....

[jharkin]

The snake is a piece of fiberglass stove gasket that got lost back there. I use the old bake ovens to store all the woodstove tools and supplies.

The only stovepipe connection I have found is on the back side of the second chimney, in the modern day kitchen. That area I think was originally storage (no ceiling joists, its currently cathedral ceiling to the roof). Th thing is the stovepipe connector is embedded into a ledge of white brick that's an obvious later addon to the old chimney. Not original.

I think the full roof rebuild idea is a possibility. Wont know unless I can find something in the records. Wont be doing that research anytime soon (busy with infants in the house)

-Jeremy

[gregV]

I see absolutely no indication that what is there now (talking about the cape-ell connection) was ever changed. No nail holes, and what signs of earlier damage is there to indicate that the entire roof was replaced? That would be a far reaching scenario I think.
I think Jeremy has pretty overwhelming evidence that the house is pretty much exactly how it has always been. I myself find it to be a fascinating house and should be celebrated as such..
Anyway, I think if Jeremy gets to his town hall records room and starts with some research of deeds that he will start to solve the mystery in more concrete ways.

Jeremy, there may be another hole in that stack under the woodwork maybe??

Here is an interesting illustration from Big House, Little House Backhouse Barn.

[jharkin]

I will let you guys know if I ever figure it out.. Probably wont be until the summer that I get a chance to look... the deeds are kept at the county records office an hour away and I need to take a weekday off work to go look through them.

The PO said they did that and gave up after a couple days of searching as the old deeds were very hard to chase down for some reason...

[gregV]

Yea, it usually takes a LOT longer then a couple of days to do this. They get harder to understand and follow as they get older. But the location of your home looks like it may be a bit easier as you are on those two roads, so it looks.
Might take maybe 10 trips back and forth to the place the records are kept. Maybe less. Just double and triple check your findings unless you find something so obvious.
I might assume that when you hit the late to mid 1830s, maybe even 1840, that you are about as far as you will go.
Your lucky with the maps you have. Do any of them have names on them? I have a late 1800s school district map that are very common in new England areas. They are usually painted in watercolor. Mine shows my house with the name A. Martin. So it's pretty safe to say that Alonzo Martin was in fact here. Info like that just helps confirm you are on the right path.
Just always start with yourself and work back. Don't take shortcuts as that can really throw you off . Just use the names you know of who have owned it in the past to confirm you are on the right trail as you get there.

Jeremy. Any milling marks, numbers and letters carved into any boards, exposed anywhere? Attic roofers, underside of floorboards, anywhere?