Hewing, Riving, and Scribing

Posted on May 04, 2007 by Gabel Holder

We recently built a historic reproduction timber frame for Charles Towne Landing State Park in Charleston, South Carolina to be used in their interpretation of the 1670 era original settlement. The 15' by 30' servant's quarters was designed based on archaeological evidence from the original site and thorough historic research. The frame is a single story with a sleeping loft and has sill timbers that are supported by earth-fast cedar poles. Around 25 slaves and servants would have lived in this house.
One of the most exciting things to me about this project was the opportunity for us to use historic techniques to layout and cut the hand hewn and riven timbers for the frame. The project's specifications called for the timber frame to be scribed (a traditional carpentry technique used until the 19th century) and for all visible tool marks to be authentic hand tool marks. What a great opportunity!
Having recently completed several scribed projects, we were very excited by the chance to use these methods on a historically authentic timber frame using all hand-converted material. Our job was to supply about one third of the hand converted materials, scribe and cut the joinery, raise the frame, and install the hand riven oak clapboards. We worked with 4 different species of timber, hewing oak for purlins, pine for floor joists, and cedar for the exposed chimney framing, riving cedar for studs, and hewing one side and peeling the cypress pole rafters. We also made the riven and hand drawn white oak pegs for the frame.
After the timbers were converted, we scribed wall frames, cross frames, trusses, and roof frames together. Then we were off to Charleston to raise the frame and put the roof on. What a great feeling to start with a pile of logs and finish with a building!
If you're ever in Charleston, I recommend a visit to Charles Towne Landing State Park. It is an interesting and enjoyable place to wander around and they do a great job of showing us where and how the settlers of the South's largest colonial port city lived.

Tagged: colonial timber frame, charles towne landing, timber frame, hand hewing, hand hewn, scribing, historic reproduction, south carolina, hand hewn timber frame