site by Stefan Hepner

 

 

 

Fosterfield's Carriage House

Location: Fosterfield's Farm/Living Museum, 76 Kahdena Rd., Morris Twp. NJ
Completion Date: 3/30/96
 

Scope of Work:
Repair fieldstone foundation and install subdrainage system, subsequently changed to include installing 36" thick reinforced concrete foundation surrounding original fieldstone, replace all sills including 6" x 8" oak and 24" diameter x 18' mortised and machined locust log installed on fieldstone foundation 7' above ground.
Needle floor joists, shore and brace barn and replace long wall framing with mortise-and-tenon joined 6" x 8" and smaller timber framing, repair rest of original hewn timber framing, fabricate and install new hewn oak 8" x 12" floor beams supporting 4" x 12" oak and half-timber joists, and pine T&G floor at main floor to match existing, fabricate all new windows and doors to match original remnants or historic photos, replace cedar shake roof, lead-coated copper soldered gutters and leaders, fabricate and install pine clapboard lapped siding, install new ramp and regrade site, demolish and install new plumbing, septic, electrical, fire and security systems. Build new chimney. Paint. Archaeological testing, analysis, and mitigation.

Building listed in National Register of Historic Places, circa 1780.

Owner: Morris County Park Commission
Architect: Mr. Bob De Silets

  Before
After
 

These two 18th-century barns with original hewn oak framing were disassembled by us after buying the salvage rights from a Middletown, N.Y, church planning to demolished them. (Pictured on the left)

The hewn timber framing was incorporated into Fosterfield Carriage house to replace missing elements of the original framing, including the entire long wall of framing adjacent to the rebuilt original chimney, and main beams supporting the floor joists.
     
 
  Siding, roof shakes, windows & chimney replaced. Post-and-beam hewn timber frame restored.  
 
     
 
  Note the locust log sill notched into the fieldstone pier at the center, terminating in a pocket in the fieldstone wall of the adjacent cow barn. This 4.000 lb log was raised into position using a wood frame, wedges and sledge hammers only by four craftsmen in one hour.