Building the Fireplaces and Chimneys

Stone collection/pile at one end of the House.

 The Fireplace Kitchen -the Heart of the Home

As discussed earlier, the Joseph Greer “Double-Pen Dogtrot House includes two pens or basic rooms, one for sleeping and one for the kitchen, each with a fireplace used for different purposes.

The presence of a fireplace in a log house is essential, just as oars are indispensable for a rowboat. This principle applies to all types of houses, including hunting and fishing lodges, lake cottages, and bungalows. Efficient heating and cooking equipment cause the proper installation of safe and effective smoke pipes, flues, and related constructions (TRAISTER, 1982).

By adhering to simple guidelines for building fireplaces and chimneys, one can avoid disastrous fires and ensure uninterrupted vacations. The two primary goals in constructing a fireplace or chimney are to prevent smoking and leakage. Smoking issues can be overcome by incorporating a smoke shelf and positioning the throat of the chimney at least eight inches above the top of the fireplace opening. To address leakage concerns, the installation of fire flues within the chimney is crucial (WATSON, 1991).  More on this in a subsequent post.

Some of the stones are square cut as it was harvested from the original Joseph Greer House, or other structures that had chimneys to make up for a shortfall of suitable stones. The rougher, less shapely stones were collected from other field sites in the vicinity of northern Lincoln County.

Scaffolding raising as chimneys grow taller

When it comes to material selection for fireplace construction, local stone is regarded as the best choice. Large boulders can be broken to reveal their inner beauty and ease of convenient handling. In a rustic setting, brick or concrete would be out of place. From an aesthetic standpoint, an external chimney rising from one end of the house is desirable. Such a configuration allows for easier accessibility during future repairs if necessary. These stones that were collected for the use of reconstruction of the Joseph Greer House were scooped up with a Bobcat loader and moved into piles at each end of the Joseph Greer House.  There are a few stones remaining at the edge of the wood line, which can be retrieved if needed. These stones are the beginning of additional pier supports for the porches and for fireplaces at each end of the house.

Chimney construction requires careful consideration and adherence to best practices. Considering the in-tended use of the Joseph Greer House fireplaces for period demonstrations, it was crucial to incorporate modern fire safety features. Firebrick lining was installed within the fireboxes to enhance their durability and heat resistance. Dampers were incorporated into both fireplaces, making them fully functional while also easing control over the airflow. Each fireplace opening was fortified with a three-by-three-inch piece of steel angle iron to support the lintel. As the height of each chimney increased, steel scaffolding was meticulously erected to ease construction, and a rope and pulley system was implemented to hasten the transportation of materials to the upper levels. Furthermore, ceramic flue liners were incorporated with-in the chimneys to ensure enhanced fire safety measures (ALDERSON, 2000)

Footer for the fireplace and chimney

 References

ALDERSON, C. &. (2000). Fire-Safety Retrofitting: Innovative Solutions for Ornamental Building Interiors. The Journal of Preservation Technology, pp. 26–32. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1504657

TRAISTER, J. E. (1982). All About Chimneys--Building, Using, Maintaining & Repairing. Blue Ridge Summit, Pa: Tab Book. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/allaboutchimneys0000trai

 WATSON, T. (1991). Building a fireplace, step by step - From the foundation to the chimney cap, mason Tom Kasper shows how to build an all-masonry fireplace. Concrete Construction Net(#M910353), 4. Retrieved April 2023, from https://www.concreteconstruction.net/projects/building-a-fireplace-step-by-step_o

 All proceeds from the sale of the "House of the Messenger" support the Joseph Greer Chapter and the Tennessee Society, Sons of the American Revolution. The funds will be allocated to historical and educational programs dedicated to the founding principles of the republic and the Constitution of the United States.