Overview of Buildings at Historic Hellam Preserve
by Joseph Keller Kindig III
The Log House - mid 1700's
Of central European form and design, log dwellings were generally the first homestead for a settler. The forestland had to be timbered in order to plant crops and this provided abundant wood for building. It permitted raising a roof for the family fairly quickly without the intensive labor of a stone building. Once a family was established, the barn built and crops planted and flourishing, then a more permanent stone or brick house could follow. The present log house is an extremely fine example of the German prototype. The most visual Germanic feature on the exterior is the use of hand-split German side and end-lapped oak shingles as opposed to the cedar shingles of the English. The house has a very steep pitched roof with a “kick” at the roof eaves (a short angle change to the roof line at the eaves). The vertical board siding on the gable ends is another example of classic Germanic design, as well as the smallish, glazed windows and minimal use of them, for glass had to be imported. The small “cat slide” shed dormer windows were another iconic feature.
The Stone Barn - circa 1800
The stone barn of bank design is built on a slope thereby creating two floor levels. The lower ground floor level was for housing cattle and horses or general livestock. The second floor of heavy timber construction, with its central section accessed by the large barn doors, was for the threshing of corn and other work tasks. The end sections on either side were haylofts for the storage of hay for fodder and straw for bedding. The bank barn design was borrowed from Central Europe and brought to Pennsylvania by the German settlers. The timber framing of the barn and roof reflect medieval practices in the mass of the timbers. The vertical slots in the stone gable ends were for ventilating the barn. The original enclosed barnyard permitted the cattle to be out in inclement weather and made for greater control. Built from local limestone, the Stone Bank Barn probably was built in 1800-1810.
The Springhouse - circa 1800
The small two-story stone springhouse is typical of small outbuilding construction practices of about 1790-1810. The bottom story housed the spring or a stone channel for it to run through the building. Milk from the dairy herd was stored in here, as well as any food stuffs requiring cooling temperatures. It was usually located near the dwelling to afford easy access. The second floor was used for storage of goods essential to the running of the dwelling. The interior of both floors was frequently whitewashed for cleanliness and good husbandry. Of course, the springhouse also provided the water for the property.
The 19th Century Farmhouse
This frame building was a common architectural form in the last half of the 19th century, built as seen here with very little variation. Its form is typical of farmhouses of the period, both in size and design. This structure, like the barn, log house and springhouse, was built as a bank building providing an additional story. The centrally located pair of entry doors on the front facade was a typical architectural feature, one door being reserved for family and Sunday best, the other permitting the entry of field hands and farmers to the kitchen. Freestanding wood and coal stoves would have heated the house.
