Pennsylvania

Messerschmidt Log House, Hellam Township, York County, Pennsylvania (39.99904, -76.59420)

(a) Main Log House Felling Dates: Spring 1758, Summer 1758, Winter 1758/9

(b) North Partition Wall Felling Dates: Summer 1762

(c) South Partition Wall Felling Dates: Winter 1766/7

(a) Logs (8/9) 1758 (C) 1757 (½C, ¼C); Braces (0/2): Queen post (1/1) 1745 + 13NM; Floorboard (0/1). (b) Corner post (1/1) 1761 (½C); (c) Door posts (1/2) 1766 (C) Site Master 1677--1758 MSPAx1 (t =7.37 DRNx10; 6.71 KEEDSITE; 6.52 DRNx). Individual Timber 1679--1766 mspa6b2 (t = 5.95 MATHISTO; 5.93 DRNx5m; 5.89 ALLENS). Individual Timber 1656--1761 mspa15 (t = 7.23 ALLENS; 7.04 FLPA; 6.92 MATHISTO).

The Messerschmidt Log House is a one-and-a-half story log house set on a raised stone basement. The building has a three-room plan with a heavy timber framed roof featuring queen posts and purlins. Dendrochronological analysis has shown that the original structure was built in the winter of 1758/9 or shortly thereafter, and that the partitions were inserted in the summer of 1762 and the winter of 1766/7 or shortly thereafter.

Worthington, M J and Seiter, J I 2013 The Tree-Ring Dating of Messerschmidt Log House, Hellam Township, Pennsylvania, unpublished Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory archive report 2013/11

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