Prairie Preservation at the Hutmacher Farmstead
Sponsored by Heritage Conservation Network
| When | May 25, 2008 - May 31, 2008 |
| Where | Killdeer, North Dakota |
| For More Information | Jamie Donahoe (303) 444-0128 jmdonahoe@heritageconservation.net http://www.heritageconservation.net/ws-hutmacher-2008.htm |
The buildings at the Hutmacher Farmstead were highly labor intensive to construct and to maintain. Materials used in construction were Badlands cedar rafters with a cottonwood ridge beam to support a roof of small branches and straw sealed with clay. Exterior walls of ashlar sandstone slabs and clay mortar were originally covered with plaster made of clay and chopped straw. Conservators are currently running tests to learn more about the composition of the clay mortar and plaster, while experts on site are exploring different mixes of aggregate, soil and lime to try and create mixtures that match the original. These mixes will be tested through the winter, and results will be assessed during the spring.
Preservation work is equally as intense and is expected to take several years. During work at the site in 2007, workshop volunteers removed three loads of debris from the site, inventoried the artifacts on location, did a current structural assessment of the property, shoveled as much as three feet of earth out of the farmhouse, temporarily raised the outhouse, rebuilt the original clothesline, installed bracing on the summer kitchen, rebuilt the smokehouse and removed collapsed portions of the roof and ceiling on the farmhouse. Archeologists uncovered traces of buildings and building components that have provided clues to the lifestyle and subsistence of the Hutmacher family.
In 2008, participants will be working on several features of the main house. The most crucial element is rebuilding the roof, which involves timber framing and grass thatch covered with a clay mixture. They will also be doing stone masonry work to stabilize the walls, which will then be tuck-pointed with clay mortar. A detailed work plan has been developed by Ed Crocker, an earthen architecture expert from Santa Fe, New Mexico, who will be on-site for one day to work with participants, discuss materials conservation issues, and answer questions. Dale Bentley, of Preservation North Dakota, will lead the project.
