Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory - Pennsylvania


Pennsylvania


Overview of Dendrochronology at the Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania

Dendrochronological analysis was commissioned on three buildings within the Conococheague Institute near Mercersburg, Pennsylvania: the Davis Chambers House, the Negley House, and the smokehouse near the Davis Chambers House.


Davis Chambers House

Davis Chambers House, The Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania (39.748882, -77.872977)


Primary Phase of House Felling Dates: Winter 1811/12, Spring 1812


Crossbeam (1/1) 1811 (¼C); Joists (0/2); Logs (4/8) 1811 (¼C, C). Site Master 1721-1811 DCHPAx1 (t =6.89 DRNNEW; 6.69 DRNx4; 6.47 MARYLAND).


The primary phase of the Davis Chambers House consists of a three-bay, two-story log house with a walk-up attic. The staircase, which was originally located in the center of the west wall of the hall, was later moved to the northern end of the same wall. The structure retains evidence of a split puncheon floor, designed to insulate the basement for food storage. A later extension was added to the west gable of the house, forming the present-day building.


Dendrochronological analysis has shown that the timbers used to build the original structure were felled in the winter of 1811/12 and the spring of 1812, suggesting that the house was constructed in the spring of 1812 or shortly thereafter.


Miles, D H, and Worthington, M J, 2014 “The Tree-Ring Dating of the Davis Chambers House, the Negley House, and the Smokehouse, all at the Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania”, ODL unpubl rep 2014/20.


Negley House

Negley House, The Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania (39.748323, -77.874250)


Negley House Felling Dates: Spring 1832, Spring 1835, Spring 1836


Logs (3/9) 1831 (¼C), 1819, 1816; Joists (2/3) 1835 (¼C), 1834 (¼C); Trimmer (0/1). Site Master 1723-1835 NEGPAx1 (t = 7.94 DC-AREA2; 7.00 VA2011; 6.85 MARYLAND)


The Negley House is a one-and-a-half-story log house originally divided into three rooms on the first floor and two rooms on the second. A half basement under the south end that was originally intended for food storage contains an internal staircase leading directly to the kitchen.


Dendrochronological analysis has shown that the timbers with complete sapwood used to build the Negley House were felled in the spring of 1832, the spring of 1835, and the spring of 1836, suggesting that the building was constructed in the spring of 1836 or shortly thereafter.


Miles, D H, and Worthington, M J, 2014 “The Tree-Ring Dating of the Davis Chambers House, the Negley House, and the Smokehouse, all at the Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania”, ODL unpubl rep 2014/20.


Smokehouse

Smokehouse, The Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania (38.813117° -76.816733°)


Smokehouse Felling Date: Undated


Logs (0/10)


The smokehouse is a small log structure with a dirt floor and a single door in the east gable. The original function of the building is unknown, but the secondary use was as a bake house, when a brick oven and chimney were added to the structure. The third and final use was as a smokehouse. Dendrochronological analysis has been unable to provide a date for the structure.


Miles, D H, and Worthington, M J, 2014 “The Tree-Ring Dating of the Davis Chambers House, the Negley House, and the Smokehouse, all at the Conococheague Institute, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania”, ODL unpubl rep 2014/20.


Link to Conococheague Institute webpage  here.

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Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory

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Michael Worthington
Jane Seiter, Ph.D

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michael@dendrochronology.com