Glossary

List of Services

• Adz

  A traditional woodworking tool used for shaping and smoothing wood, especially in timber framing. It has a curved blade set at a right angle to the handle.

  Adz

• Aisle A lengthwise area (parallel to the roof peak) in a building that has spaces (often three) that are created – often seen in Dutch-American barns.
  Aisle
• Anchor Beam A large horizontal timber in a barn frame that connects the posts and supports the upper structure. It often has mortise and tenon joints with wooden pegs.
  Anchor Beam
• Appalachian Meadow Barn A small, rectangular, vertically sided, unpainted wood barn.
  Appalachian Meadow Barn
• Arcade Posts Vertical supports in a barn, forming an arcade that supports the upper floors and roof. They are typically evenly spaced and integral to the structure's stability.
  Arcade Posts
• Bank Barn A barn built into a hillside, allowing access to both the upper and lower levels from ground level. This design is common in areas with uneven terrain.
  Bank Barn
• Basement (or Raised Basement) Barn The Basement Barn, also called a Raised Basement Barn, Raised Barn, Raised Three –Bay Barn or Northern Basement Barn, is essentially an English Barn set atop a full basement.
  Basement (or Raised Basement) Barn
• Basement Barn A barn with a ground-level basement used for livestock or storage, with the main barn floor above.
  Basement Barn
• Basilica Plan A building plan in which a dominant nave is flanked by two or more side aisles.
  Basilica Plan
• Bay The space between two bents in a timber frame structure. Bays are a modular unit of measurement for the layout and design of barns and buildings.
  Bay
• Beam A fair sized horizontal timber in a building’s framing system.
  Beam
• Beetle A large wooden mallet used in timber framing for driving wooden pegs into joints or fitting timbers together.
  Beetle
• Bench A sturdy work surface used for various woodworking tasks.
  Bench
• Bent A structural framework consisting of vertical posts and horizontal beams, forming a section of a timber frame building. Bents are assembled on the ground and then raised into place.
  Bent
• Board & Batten Exterior sheathing consisting of vertical boards with narrow battens superimposed to cover seams
  Board & Batten
• Boring The process of drilling a hole in wood or another material.
  Boring
• Box frame A term usually assigned to English–based construction where roof trusses are supported by a matrix of beams and posts and wall plates. H-frames are not seen.
  Box frame
• Brace A diagonal timber that provides support and stability to the frame, connecting posts and beams to prevent racking.
  Brace
• Breastboard Wide horizontal boards that form an interior wall along the treshing bay.
  Breastboard
• Breezeway A covered passageway.
  Breezeway
• Brickender The end wall of a barn built of brick, often found in older barns to provide extra stability and weather protection.
  Brickender
• Bridgehouse An entry porch to a bank barn that covers and protects a bridge that in some cases separates the ramp and the threshing flooring.
  Bridgehouse
• Broadaxe A well known wood handled cutting tool (with beveled edge) for forming timbers where the handle is bent or curved to prevent the hand from being cut on the timber as it is being formed.
  Broadaxe
• Broadside The longer side wall of the barn that are puntucated by wagon doors to the central thrushing bay.
  Broadside
• Broken Gable Barn Broken gable barns feature a gable roof with a break or interruption in its slope, adding a unique aesthetic touch. This design can provide additional ventilation and natural light while also enhancing the overall visual appeal of the barn. Broken gable barns are often used in combination with other barn styles.
  Broken Gable Barn
• Calipers A measuring tool used to measure the thickness or diameter of objects.
  Calipers
• Cantilevered A projecting structure supported only at one end, commonly used in barns to create overhangs or forebays.
  Cantilevered
• Chinking The material used to fill gaps between logs in a log structure, typically made of a mixture of clay, lime, sand, and straw.
  Chinking
• Chisel A tool used for cutting or shaping wood.
  Chisel
• Clamps Tools used to hold pieces of wood together securely during construction or repair.
  Clamps
• Collar Beam A horizontal timber connecting two opposite rafters, providing additional support and stability to the roof structure.
  Collar Beam
• Collar Tie A horizontal timber similar to a collar beam, but typically positioned lower on the rafters, helping to prevent them from spreading apart.
  Collar Tie
• Common Purlin A longitudinal timber spaced at intervals that connects large or principal rafters and carrying the roof sheathing.
  Common Purlin
• Common Rafter A series of same sized and pitched beams in the plane of a roof that join in pairs and support roof sheathing.
  Common Rafter
• Connecting Tie A horizontal timber that ties the tops of the posts together, providing lateral stability to the frame.
  Connecting Tie
• Crib A framework enclosure for ventilated storage of corn or grain.
  Crib
• Cupola A small, dome-like structure on top of a barn or building, often used for ventilation and as a decorative element.
  Cupola
• Double Decker Barn Double Decker Barns are actually three level barns. The lowest level houses stables and the central level is bisected by side doors and a connecting aisle to create two deep "sink mows" on either side. These sink mows extend from the second to the third story of the barn and provide abundant grain storage capacity.
  Double Decker Barn
• Dowel A cylindrical piece of wood used to join two pieces of wood together.
  Dowel
• Drover's Barn A sheltered tie up for the temporary use of anumals being driven between farm and market.
  Drover's Barn
• Dutch Barn A style of barn with a distinctive broad gable roof and flared eaves, commonly found in areas with Dutch influence.
  Dutch Barn
• Dutch Door A door generally used as a portal or barn or house, with upper and lower halves that can be opened sepatarely.
  Dutch Door
• Dutch Gable Barn Similar to Dutch barns, Dutch gable barns feature a single gable end instead of two. This variation offers a balance of open space and enclosed areas, making them suitable for a variety of agricultural uses. Dutch gable barns are often found in regions with a strong Dutch influence.
  Dutch Gable Barn
• Dutchman A repair or patch to a piece of wood that retains as much of the original as possible.
  Dutchman
• Eaves The edge of a roof that over-sails a wall.
  Eaves
• English Barn A traditional barn style with a simple rectangular shape and gable roof, typically without a basement.
  English Barn
• English Lake District Barn The English Lake District Barns are found most often in southeastern Pennsylvania where English settlement was strong in the late 17th and 18th century and are usually of stone construction. The lower level is used to house animals and the top for hay and straw storage.
  English Lake District Barn
• Flailing The treshing of grain, by hand, using a flail.
  Flailing
• Forebay An overhanging section of a barn, often found in bank barns, providing additional storage space and shelter.
  Forebay
• Fork and Tongue Joint A joint used to connect a pair of rafters at the ridge.
  Fork and Tongue Joint
• Free Stall (or Open Stall or Loafing Shed) Barn These barns have minimal walls, admitting plenty of air and sunlight, but providing some shelter from wind. The Free Style Barns include a milking parlor and often a milk house.
  Free Stall (or Open Stall or Loafing Shed) Barn
• Gable The triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof, often containing windows or ventilation openings.
  Gable
• Gable Entry Bank Barn This barn is banked on its gable end and has no forebay. A large, gable end door on the upper level is reached by an earthen ramp to provide access to hay and machinery storage space. The ground floor houses cows, manure and feed roots with stalls arranged lengthwise in two rows flanking a central aisle.
  Gable Entry Bank Barn
• Gable on Hip Barn Gable on hip barns combine the features of a gable roof and a hip roof, creating a visually interesting and structurally sound structure. This style provides excellent protection from the elements and can be adapted to various barn sizes and layouts. Gable on hip barns are commonly found in different regions and used for a variety of agricultural purposes.
  Gable on Hip Barn
• Gable-Front (or New England) Barn This barn has access at only one level. Without banks, the entrance doors are found in the gable end usually offset to one side. The ground floor has both animal stalls and a hay storage area. The loft provides additional hay storage room and can be reached by small doors under the peak of the roof gable.
  Gable-Front (or New England) Barn
• Gambrel A roof shape with two slopes on each side, the lower slope being steeper than the upper. This design provides more headroom and storage space in the attic.
  Gambrel
• Gin Pole A pole used to raise heavy timbers during the construction of a timber frame structure, often equipped with a block and tackle.
  Gin Pole
• Girt A horizontal timber that connects posts and provides lateral support, running parallel to the sill and plate.
  Girt
• Gothic Barn Inspired by Gothic architectural styles, Gothic barns feature a steeply pitched roof with pointed arches and decorative elements. These dramatic and visually striking barns are not as common as other styles but can be found in historic areas with a Gothic influence.
  Gothic Barn
• Granary A storage area for grain, often found in the upper levels of barns.
  Granary
• Ground Barn Ground Barns have unique interiors that are divided into three spaces. The large central door is located in the eaves side of the barn and was primarily used for smaller farming operations for diversified grain and livestock agriculture.
  Ground Barn
• Gunstock Post A post that has a flared out section at its top end to often receive a cross tie and a longitudinal plate in the same area - also called a jowled post.
  Gunstock Post
• Gunstock Post A post that is wider at the top than at the bottom, providing extra support where the beams connect.
  Gunstock Post
• H-Frame A term often reserved for that distinctive bent in the middle aisle or nave in Dutch-American three-aisle barns. Each bent consists of a large horizontal overhead anchor-beam with two vertical end posts and diagonal end braces. The anchor-beams often have prominent extended tenons that define such ethnic barns. H-frames are sometime called H-bents.
  H-Frame
• Hand Hewn Timbers shaped and smoothed by hand using axes and adzes, giving them a distinctive texture and character.
  Hand Hewn
• Handsaw A saw with a long handle and a blade that is used for cutting wood by hand.
  Handsaw
• Hay Barn Hay Barns are specialized buildings for the storage of hay, usually located well away from the farm house complex. Typically constructed of a light wood frame covered with vertical boards, a hay barn has a gabled roof with a large opening in the upper gable end, sometimes protected by a hay hood.
  Hay Barn
• Hay Barrack A structure used for the storage of hay.
  Hay Barrack
• Hay Chute or Drop A chute or opening used to lower hay down from the loft to the ground level.
  Hay Chute or Drop
• Hay Door A door located in the barn's exterior wall, used for loading and unloading hay.
  Hay Door
• Hay Hood A protective covering placed over a hay chute or door to prevent rain and snow from entering the barn.
  Hay Hood
• Hay Hook A tool used for handling and moving hay.
  Hay Hook
• Hay Loft The upper level of a barn, typically used for storing hay.
  Hay Loft
• Hay Mow A large pile of hay stored in the loft.
  Hay Mow
• Hay Track A system of tracks and pulleys used to move hay within the barn.
  Hay Track
• Hay Trolley A wheeled cart used to transport hay within the barn.
  Hay Trolley
• Haymow The space in the barn where the hay is stored.
  Haymow
• Heritage Homes Homes that are built or restored to reflect the historical significance and architectural style of a particular period. Heritage homes often incorporate reclaimed materials and traditional building techniques to maintain their historical character.
  Heritage Homes
• Heritage Restoration The process of preserving, repairing, and restoring historic structures to maintain their original character and significance. This involves using traditional materials and techniques to ensure authenticity and historical accuracy.
  Heritage Restoration
• Hew Shaped timber formed from a log done by hand most often by a broad-axe.
  Hew
• Hip Barn Hip barns have a roof that slopes downward on all four sides, providing excellent protection from the elements. This versatile style can be adapted to different sizes and layouts, making it suitable for a variety of agricultural uses. Hip barns are widely found in various regions.
  Hip Barn
• Horse Barn Horse barns are defined by their box stalls for horse and a tack room for saddles, harness, and equipment. Larger barns often have stalls arranged in rows with an aisle between them. Divided Dutch doors or window in each stall are common in horse barns.
  Horse Barn
• Jack Post A short vertical timber, sometimes employed in interior bents.
  Jack Post
• Jamb The vertical section of the frame to a doorway or a window.
  Jamb
• Joinery The method of connecting two pieces of wood together, traditionally using techniques like mortise and tenon, dovetails, and dowels. Joinery is a crucial aspect of timber frame construction, ensuring the stability and integrity of the structure without relying on metal fasteners.
  Joinery
• Joint The coming together of timbers at a specific spot
  Joint
• Joist A horizontal beam that supports the floorboards or ceiling of a building.
  Joist
• King Post A vertical post that provides additional support to a roof truss.
  King Post
• Layout Face The single plane to which major and minor timbers of a bent or side wall are justified
  Layout Face
• Loft An upper level or attic space in a barn or building, often used for storage or additional living space.
  Loft
• Loophole A vertical slot in a stone wall that provides ventilation and light.
  Loophole
• Manager A feeding trough to hold hay or feed for livestock.
  Manager
• Marriage Mark Marks made on timbers to indicate how they should be assembled, ensuring that each piece fits correctly with its corresponding parts.
  Marriage Mark
• Martin Hole Small openings cut into the gabel waterboards of a barn, often in decorative patterns, to provide access to martins and other insect eating birds.
  Martin Hole
• Middletree/ Middleman A removable, vertical timber, mortised to the center of the sil and lintil of the doorway to a thresing bay.
  Middletree/ Middleman
• Milking Parlor A designated area within a barn where cows are milked.
  Milking Parlor
• Monitor Barn Monitor barns feature a long, rectangular shape with a raised center section, allowing for better ventilation and lighting. This design is particularly well-suited for hot and humid climates. Monitor barns are often used for dairy farming or other livestock operations.
  Monitor Barn
• Mortise A cavity or hole cut into a timber to receive a tenon, forming a strong joint when combined with a tenon.
  Mortise
• Mowpoles Sapplings laid horizontally ti support hay within a barn. Not part of the barn structure.
  Mowpoles
• Nailer A horitzontal secondary timber to which vertical siding is nailed in the intermediary spaces between larger timbers.
  Nailer
• Nave The central part of a barn, typically the open area used for threshing or storing hay.
  Nave
• Passing Brace A diagonal brace that connects the rafters to the ridgepole, providing additional structural support.
  Passing Brace
• Pennsylvania (or Switzer) Barn The Pennsylvania Barn (sometimes called a Switzer or Swiss Barn) have a pronounced overhanging forebay. The cantilevered forebay provided some protection from weather and a larger second floor storage area. These barns are built into either a natural or created bank so that wagons can access the top floor of the barn using a ramp.
  Pennsylvania (or Switzer) Barn
• Pentroof A small, secondary roof structure that projects from the main wall of a building, often over a doorway or window for additional weather protection.
  Pentroof
• Pike A long pole used in the construction and raising of timber frames, particularly for positioning and securing beams.
  Pike
• Pike Pole A long, slender pole with a sharp point at one end and a hook at the other, used for various tasks such as raising rafters, moving hay, and breaking up ice.
  Pike Pole
• Plate A horizontal timber at the top of a wall, supporting the rafters and distributing the load of the roof.
  Plate
• Pole barn Pole barns represent a post WWII move toward economy and flexible, open space barns. Constructed with lightweight posts or poles supporting a shallow pitched gable roof, these barns have walls of wood or metal sheathing.
  Pole barn
• Principal Purlin or Purlin Plate A horizontal timber that runs along the length of a roof, supporting the rafters and adding structural stability.
  Principal Purlin or Purlin Plate
• Principal Rafter A primary rafter in a roof structure, usually larger and more substantial than common rafters, providing the main support for the roof.
  Principal Rafter
• Purlin A horizontal beam that runs along the top of the rafters, providing support and distributing the weight of the roof.
  Purlin
• Queen Post A vertical post in a truss that extends from the tie beam to the principal rafters, creating a triangular structure for added stability.
  Queen Post
• Rafter A sloping beam that supports the roof, running from the eaves to the ridge.
  Rafter
• Raising Brace A diagonal brace that connects the rafters to the ridgepole or purlins, providing additional support during the construction process.
  Raising Brace
• Re-Erected Timber Frame A timber frame that has been carefully dismantled, restored, and reassembled in a new location. This process allows historic structures to be preserved and appreciated in a new setting while maintaining their original craftsmanship and integrity.
  Re-Erected Timber Frame
• Reclaimed Wood Wood salvaged from old buildings and repurposed for new constructions. Reclaimed wood is valued for its unique character, patina, and sustainability, as it reduces the need for new lumber and helps preserve natural resources.
  Reclaimed Wood
• Ridgepole The horizontal beam that runs along the top of the roof, connecting the rafters at their highest point.
  Ridgepole
• Roof Plate A horizontal timber that sits on top of the wall posts, supporting the roof rafters and providing a base for the roof structure.
  Roof Plate
• Round Barn Difficult to construct, the Round Barn plan was impractical and not widely embraced. Although rare, Round Barns and related Octagonal Barns can be found throughout Pennsylvania.
  Round Barn
• Saltbox Barn Saltbox barns are characterized by their distinctive shape, with a long, sloping roof that extends over one end of the building. This design creates a cozy and inviting atmosphere, making saltbox barns ideal for residential purposes or as combination barn and dwellings.
  Saltbox Barn
• Scribe Rule A method of timber framing that involves marking and cutting each joint to fit precisely with the corresponding piece, ensuring a tight and accurate fit.
  Scribe Rule
• Separator A machine used to separate cream from milk.
  Separator
• Sheep Barn Sheep barns are tall narrow two-story wood shelters for sheep with regularly spaced small side windows. A hay hood and hay door are often found in the upper gable end. These barns are almost always gable roofed and built of wood timber or balloon framing, often atop a stone foundation. The ground floor has open space or large pens with feeding troughs and dirt floors.
  Sheep Barn
• Shiplap A type of siding consisting of overlapping boards that create a weatherproof barrier.
  Shiplap
• Shoulder The step or ledge created in a timber where it has been cut to receive another timber, forming part of a joint.
  Shoulder
• Sill The horizontal timber that forms the base of a wall, supporting the vertical posts and distributing the weight of the structure.
  Sill
• Slick A large, chisel-like tool used for smoothing and shaping timbers in timber framing.
  Slick
• Square Rule A carpenter's tool used to measure angles and ensure the accuracy of construction.
  Square Rule
• Stable A part of a barn or other building used to house horses or other livestock.
  Stable
• Stable (or Conventional Stall or Wisconsin Style Dairy) Barn Stable barns (also called Conventional Stall Barns or Wisconsin Style Dairy Barns) date from the 20th century and can be found throughout Pennsylvania. They have a rounded gambrel form roof and ground level stanchions for dairy cattle accessed by a gable end opening and lengthwise aisle. The upper level provides hay storage and the sides of the barn have ample windows.
  Stable (or Conventional Stall or Wisconsin Style Dairy) Barn
• Stall A partitioned area within a stable where an individual animal is kept.
  Stall
• Stanchion A device used to restrain an animal, such as a cow, in a milking parlor.
  Stanchion
• Still Plate A horizontal beam that runs along the top of the walls, providing support for the rafters.
  Still Plate
• Stonender A stone foundation or base on which a timber frame structure is built, providing stability and protection from moisture.
  Stonender
• Strut A diagonal or vertical timber that provides additional support and stability to a frame, preventing it from racking or twisting.
  Strut
• Stud A vertical post used in the framing of a building.
  Stud
• Summer Beam A large horizontal beam that supports the floor joists in a building, typically found in the central part of the structure.
  Summer Beam
• Swing Beam A large, horizontal timber used in barns to support the upper floors and roof, often allowing for large open spaces below.
  Swing Beam
• Tack Room A room or area within a barn used for storing saddles, bridles, and other horse equipment.
  Tack Room
• Tenon A projection on the end of a timber that fits into a mortise, forming a strong joint when combined with the mortise.
  Tenon
• Three Gable (or Raised Three Gable or Front Shed) Barn The Three Gable Barn consists of a main section which is often a forebay barn with a large two-story gable roofed section added at a right angle. The barn usually has an L shaped plan, but it can also form a T or even a rectangle. This barn type was sometimes built incrementally but was also originally constructed with three full bays.
  Three Gable (or Raised Three Gable or Front Shed) Barn
• Threshing Floor The area in a barn where grain is separated from the chaff, typically an open, central space with a hard surface.
  Threshing Floor
• Threshold The bottom part of a doorway, often a timber or stone piece, that provides a transition between rooms or between the inside and outside of a building.
  Threshold
• Tie Beam A horizontal beam that connects the opposite walls of a barn, providing stability and support.
  Tie Beam
• Timber Frame A construction method utilizing heavy timbers joined together with traditional joinery techniques, often without the use of nails or screws. This method is known for its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal, making it a popular choice for both historic and modern structures.
  Timber Frame
• Tongue The projecting part of a board or timber that fits into the groove of another piece, creating a strong and secure joint.
  Tongue
• Treshing Bay The area within a barn where grain is threshed, separated from the chaff, and prepared for storage.
  Treshing Bay
• Triforium A passageway or gallery located above the main floor of a building, often used for ventilation or storage.
  Triforium
• Trunnel A wooden peg used in traditional timber framing to join timbers together, also known as a tree nail.
  Trunnel
• Truss A framework of timbers designed to support a roof or bridge, consisting of triangular units that distribute weight and provide stability.
  Truss
• Wagon Doors Large, double doors at the entrance of a barn, designed to accommodate the passage of wagons and other equipment.
  Wagon Doors
• Wane The tapered edge of a timber, often caused by natural growth or the removal of bark.
  Wane
• Wind Brace A diagonal brace that helps to resist the forces of wind and provide additional structural support.
  Wind Brace
• Winnowing The process of separating grain from chaff using wind or a fanning mill.
  Winnowing