The Persistence Foundation - Nipmoose - Scottish Barn
Photographs by Constance Kheel
The Scottish Barn is a treasure. It ranks among the earliest and most unique barns in America. Predating the use of sawmills, every structural timber in it was either hand hewn or hand split. Besides its early age, the Scottish Barn is remarkable because of its extraordinary frame.
The Scottish Barn’s massive beams are interlocked in a manner that is so complex, its method of construction has been described as “secret joinery”. This “secret joinery” involves the union of three beams (a post, tie and plate beam). Tie beams are timbers that span the width of the barn and are seated on top of posts, and plate beams are the elongated, horizontal timbers on which the roof rafters rest. More