Lily M. Notecards

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Lily M.

2015

Raisin Day

Source:

Wilbur, C. Keith. Home Building and Woodworking in Colonial America. Connecticut: TGPP, 1992. Print.

Pages: 31

Quote:

“Everything was in readiness. It might well have been taken a year since the first tree was felled to created. Being a good neighbor never meant more than on raising day. By dawn the villagers had largely gathered at the building site with their hearth-cooked victuals, drink, gossip, goodwill, music-makers-and above all, plenty of muscle. There was the same anticipation of later independence Day celebrations, for these were special times to never forget. The bents were positioned on the temporary boards that covered the flooring timber.

Hard by were stacked, numbered frame pieces that included the connecting girts that would frame pieces that included braces, the second floor and attic joists, the summer beams and the rafters that would be raised, joined and seated to receive their share of purlins.

All this took the organization of a field general who had the know-how of a master framer and a keen eye for any pitfalls that might lie ahead. Usually the responsibility fell upon the shoulders of the head carpenter.

 

 

Paraphrase:

  • Everything was ready
  • It might have been about a year since they started
  • On Raisin day being a good neighbor was most important
  • At dawn all the villagers came with food, drinks and gossip and ready for some work
  • This was a special time that was never forgotten
  • The bents were placed on the temporary boards that covered the wood flooring
  • Numbered frame pieces that included connecting girts, that would frame pieces that included braces, attic joints and the whole second floor, that summer beams and the rafters that would be raised, joined and seated to receive their share of purlins.
  • All this needed to be led by a person as organized as a field general, as know-how as a master framer, and a keen eye ready for any pitfalls that might occur.
  • the master carpenter was usually the leader.

 

My Ideas:

I think that Raisin Day is really important; there are no architects in the Colonial times so this shows how the whole community would help build a house. It was also probably a time where the people got to socialize, gossip and have a good time. I think it would have looked like a big block party but with more people and work to do. I wonder if the women would raise the second floor too or if they just gossiped, ate and drank while the men did all the work. Maybe the children would use the time to get to play with all the kids in the village. I also wonder how many times a year the would do this, once a year or only when it was needed. Would they do this for the roofs too? Maybe they did all the houses on one day of the year and a house would have to wait until that day to be completed.

History:

Created: 11/04/15 10:56 AM

 

 

Lily M.
2015

Class in Williamsburg
Source: At, Interpreter Williamsburg. “Interview at Williamsburg.” Town of Williamsburg. N.p.: n.p., 20015. N. pag. Print.

Quote:

  • There were staircases going left and right, one side for the girls and one for the men because it was rude for together men to see the woman’s ankles.
  • The planks were very thick so they put ridges in-between the planks to make them look thinner and more expensive. There are many more optical illusions like this
  • In Williamsburg the houses were all brick but the truth is that the average house was all wood.

Paraphrase: See quotes for paraphrasing, (quote is paraphrased).

My Ideas: It was very rude for a man to see a woman’s ankles so they had double sided stairs. I think that this is an intelligent way to solve the problem. Maybe if they was only a one-sided staircase it meant that they were poorer and more on the lower class. I remember that the brick maker had told us that Williamsburg had brick houses because most of the people who lived there were upper class, and I remember that in Williamsburg there were a lot of double sided stairways, that is why I think that is meant that the family was richer.  Another was to show that the family was richer was to have thin planks so to make it look like that the architect would put ridges in-between the planks as an optical illusion. I think that only the extremely rich would have real thin planks and then the others (who could afford it) would have ridges. I wonder if it was even possible for there to be thin planks. I also remember that almost all the houses in the town were brick and only a couple shops and kitchens were wood. This proves how upper class Williamsburg was and I think it was this way because it was the capital.