Valley View FarmSmokehouse

Conditions Assessment Report

prepared by Emily TaffGeorgia State University

HIST 8620October 2011

cover photo by Ed Howard

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Smokehouse at Valley View Farm

CONDITIONS ASSESSMENT REPORT

INTRODUCTION and HISTORY

This conditions assessment report for the smokehouse at Valley View is an examination, assess-

ment, and preservation plan for stabilizing and preserving this historic and original outbuilding.

It provides some historical background of the property as a whole and of the smokehouse specifi-

cally and how it relates to the rest of the property.

Valley View is a farm of some 280 acres located just outside of Cartersville, Bartow Coun-

ty, Georgia, off Euharlee Rd. The house was built in the 1840s first as an I-house and soon thereaf-

ter expanded with two wings added off the back side resulting in a unique U-shape to the house.

Immediately adjacent to the house are several historic outbuildings including a separate kitchen,

smokehouse, water tower and well house.

Valley View was originally built in the late 1840s and included the old kitchen and the

smokehouse, both of which are still standing today. These buildings as well as the house were made

almost entirely on-site, bricks were made of mud brought up from the Etowah River just down the

hill and lumber cut from the property which at one time numbered more than 2,000 acres.

SITE

The home sits on a hill facing east, overlooking the Etowah River valley. The kitchen and

smokehouse are immediately behind the main house: the detached kitchen just 20' from the

north wing and the smokehouse close off the back of the south wing. The smokehouse also faces

east and is separated by a circular asphalt drive (not historic) from the main house to the east,

the detached kitchen on the north, a well house to the northwest, and the rest of the property

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including the caretaker’s house about 100 yards to the southwest. A brick water tower, built by

Sproull Fouche in the 1930s (estimated) stands just 10' or 15' off the south side of the smoke-

house (see floorplan, p. 9, and site map p. 12).

BUILDING

The smokehouse is a small building of brick construction composed of three rooms, the large

main room of which is approximately 19' square (interior walls, exterior: 20'). The other two

rooms extend off the south wall, flush with east (front) facade each room measures about 6 1/2'

wide by 5 1/2' deep and the rooms are separated by a modern divider (see fig. 22).

EXTERIOR

The building is all brick (structural), two wythes deep expanding to a 3-course brick spread footer

at the base which serves as the only foundation support. This footer extends about 1' below the

ground on the east side, but as the grade slopes west, it is exposed on the back (see elevations, p.10-

11, and fig. 4). Brick is laid in seven-course American bond (with some variation to 8-course). In

places where there has been extensive brick replacment/repointing (primarily on the north and

west walls converging on the lower northwest corner) this pattern is abandoned.

As mentioned, the building was constructed of bricks made on the property, some brick

replacement is evident around the building (particularly at the northwest corner) with newer

bricks. The lower half of the building all around (lower 5'-6') shows significant mortar loss. The

historic lime-based mortar, tinted red from the local sand, is still in fairly good condition on the

upper portion however where white penciling can also still be made out, a significant feature as

one can assume only a wealthy family would have penciling on a utilitarian structure like the

smokehouse. Many of the historic bricks are deteriorating and diagonal tension cracks (step

cracks) abound, sometimes cutting through the center of bricks, which indicates serious structural

problems. Portland cement has inappropriately been used to patch and repoint mortar in many

places particularly in large areas on the north, west, and south walls and desperate attempts to

correct structural problems on the northwest corner are evident

About halfway up the walls on all sides are pierced brick vents in a diamond shape. They

each measure about 2' 7" from end to end and are seven courses high. There is some gray discolor-

ation of the bricks above all of these vents on the exterior wall.

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Although the second room was built at the same time as the rest of the building (the

bricks across the front are original and their pattern unbroken), there is a separate entrance on the

exterior for this room with a door only 2' 11" wide compared to the width of the main entrance, 3'

10 1/4". Both doors are board and batten with a diagonal brace at the back and painted brick red.

ROOF

The wood shingle roof is relatively new; its gabled construction with plywood board and batten

gable ends, is not the original 1840s configuration and the current roofing material is only a few

years old. There was a pyramidal roof on the structure, typical of smokehouses throughout the

eastern and southern US, until sometime after the 1920s. The original roof, however, seems to

have left not a trace, indicating that the reconfiguration to end gables (east- and west-facing) must

have been quite a significant and extensive remodeling project. There has always been a lean-to-

like roof over the south room. The shallow eaves and gable ends are painted the same brick red as

the doors.

INTERIOR

Inside the main room, the uneven dirt floor is below grade by somewhat less than a foot at the

front (east side) and closer to grade on the back (west) end. A 45" high concrete wall runs the

length of the north wall and about three-quarters of the length of the west wall, meeting in the

northwest corner. The concrete appears to have been poured in 4 layers and is reinforced with

heavy wire mesh. It was probably put in place by the current owners’ father, Mr. Norton, as an-

other “desperate attempt” to hold up this corner of the structure, and is not historic.

The brick wall on the interior has significant mortar loss on the lower half of the wall as

on the exterior. More bricks seem to be “turning to dust” on the interior and some efflorescence is

also evident (fig. 10). A large, long crack exists in the south wall (of the main room) between the

two rooms and can be seen from both sides.

The interior side of the pierced brick vents is particularly interesting as the bricks in this

wythe have been cut/broken at angles and arranged to direct air flow out at an angle.

The smaller south room was used for curing hams and its interior is plastered. There is a

non-historic division in the room covered with insulation, wire screen, and a door. The holes of

the vents in this room have been stuffed with synthetic insulation in more recent decades.

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ASSESSMENT OF CONDITIONS

ROOF

The wood-shingle roof, put on in 2003, appears to be fairly sound, as it should be. This new roof

has a base of plywood and possibly roofing paper as well, which may not allow the wood shingles

to breath and properly dry out. However, at present there seems to be no indication that water is

being held between the shingles and their substrate. The 24" shingles have a 10" reveal on the main

roof where there should be just an 8" reveal (a two-third overlap is the rule).

WOOD

The rafters and beams appear to be in very good condition. The interior of the south room may be

relieved of its partition if desired as this is not structural nor historic. The sill attached to the lintel

of the south door (to the small room) appears to have some rotten woodwork. The doors and their

exterior frames do not appear to be historic themselves, and on the whole they seem to be in very

good condition.

Historic Wood: The lintels of the doors and a wooden ledger strip that runs along the interior

walls from 10' 3" to 10' 6" from the ground, are historic and structural so care should be taken to

preserve this wood. It appears to be in good condition.

MASONRY

The handmade, homegrown masonry lends an irreplaceable uniqueness to the property. This key

element in the property’s story is worth pains to preserve wherever possible. The primary prob-

lems in the masonry are deteriorating bricks and tension cracks which are affecting the structural

integrity of the building and indicating larger problems. Moisture in one form and another seems

to be the primary culprit.

Deterioration and spalling: Historic bricks and mortar are deteriorating on all surfaces of the

building, a problem most persistent on the lower half, a likely affect of moisture in the bricks due

to “rising damp” (see below). Also contributing to the deterioration is the inappropriate repoint-

ing with Portland cement, and vines growing on the exterior that caused significant spalling in

the past (fig. 8). Additionally, several of the masonry units both interior and exterior are “salmon”

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bricks, that is, incompletely fired bricks that do not have the hard exterior that protects the unit

over the years (fig. 5).

Rising damp (capillary action) is a persistent problem, which is not surprising given the meager

foundation and lack of a damp course to protect the masonry walls. Water is lying at the base of

the walls and traveling up the masonry by capillary action. The eroded grade around the founda-

tion is the primary cause for this.

Runoff along the north and south walls has caused the soil around the west side of the structure to

erode, allowing the footing of the walls to be exposed and the building itself to shift in response.

Cracks: Evidence of the shifting corners abounds in the cracks in the masonry that occur all

across the upper surface of the exterior. A very large, long crack on the interior wall between the

two rooms is particularly disturbing (fig. 17). Generally the top of a tension shear crack (a crack

resulting from one part of the building sinking while another part stays in one place) leans in the

direction of the sinking, however, the cracks in the smokehouse exterior run diagonally in both

directions on all walls, evidence of much movement over time.

However, it does not take crack sleuthing to pinpoint the likely culprits of instability here.

Although the southwest corner seems to have the lowest grade, the northwest corner (also low)

seems to have experienced even more drastic movement due, likely to wash-out and the settling of

the soil underneath the base. There is evidence of extensive repairs to this corner of the structure.

Masonry has been inappropriately repointed with Portland cement, which has also been used

on the exterior to hold up the structure and an amateur masonry job may be responsible for the

bowed out northwest corner. Obfuscation of the seven-course bond pattern is evidence that bricks

have been removed and replaced (often with new units) all around this corner and in a few other

places around the building. The bowing does not appear to be an immediate concern as it seems

to be structurally sound, held together in part as well by the re-enforced low concrete wall along

the majority of the north and west interior walls. However, this will become a serious structural

problem if it is not addressed and these corners stabilized. Infiltration of water still seems to be the

primary culprit, and regarding the area surrounding the smokehouse to direct water away from

the base is incredibly important. Cracks are your barometer!

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RECOMMENDATIONS

A historic structural engineer should evaluate the smokehouse in order to confirm whether the following measures will be enough to stabilize the structure or if more drastic measures need to be taken. Particularly regarding the bulge in the northwest corner and the large crack in the wall joining the two rooms.

FIRST:

Correct site drainage: Both surface and ground water need to be redirected. There are options

here, including gutters and a French drain system. However, gutters are visibly intrusive and not

historically accurate for a structure like a smokehouse. French drains are a favorite solution but

their installation is expensive and risky as it can be too intrusive to the site itself. In fact, it might

turn out to be difficult to safely install a French drain around the southwest corner where a fairly

old pecan tree stands close by. Solution #3:

1. Re-establish a positive sloping grade around the base of the structure on all sides, but

particularly steep on the west side and most of the north and south sides. This will mean

bringing in a load or two of soil to work with (see fig. b and c).

2. Fill a shallow ditch at the base of the grade with gravel to prevent it from eroding the soil

where it comes in contact with the ground and to alleviate splash-back on the masonry

(fig. a).

figure b: Rough sketch of the current topography immedi-ately surrounding the smoke-house at Valley View.

figure c: Rough sketch show-ing revised grading of soil and ideal directions of water flow and dispersment.

figure a: Elevation of ideal grading against the base of the structure and gravel channel to catch runoff.

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3. Grading should continue to direct water away from the base and also provide a place for

the water to go. To this end the lowest points should direct water around the site from the

high ground to the low while also going away from the structure and out under the drive-

way, dispersing the water into the open yard beyond (fig. c).

4. The paved driveway encircling the site is likely contributing to the water retention around

the structure. Should this drive ever be taken up, a permeable paving solution such as

gravel or crushed stone should be put in it’s place.

Cracks: should be repointed and patched.

Spalling/deteriorating bricks: A water-repellent coating in selected areas only (such as where

vegetation has weakened the surface of the bricks and on other deteriorating original bricks) may

be considered but only after further measures have been taken to prevent rising damp and other

moisture retention in the walls and the building has completely dried out (see Preservation Brief

1: “Assessing Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments for Historic Buildings”). This is only

recommended as a last resort protective measure on a few of the most deteriorated historic bricks

because it may serve to preserve those bricks a little longer but on the other hand, there is a risk of

moisture being trapped inside bricks and the deterioration being exacerbated.

IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO:

• Repair rotten wood on frame above door to the smaller room.

• Remove insulation in the pointing gaps of the room on the south side to prevent the

possible retention of moisture there.

ONGOING MAINTENANCE:

• Selectively replace bricks to match (luckily a variety already exists), and monitor the brick

surfaces on a yearly basis for where replacements are next needed.

• Repointing of bricks should continue and needs to be done on all sides of the smoke-

house both inside and out. As the current owners know, only a lime-based historic mortar

should be used and NOT portland cement.

• Monitor cracks (if they are repointed the patch will crack, or you can epoxy a piece of

single-strength window glass over the crack, it will break if the crack grows wider), if they

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continue to grow after other measures to protect the structural integrity of the building

may be necessary. Step away from the northwest corner and reconsider consulting a struc-

tural engineer.

• Keep vegetation sufficiently away from the exterior of the building to prevent microcli-

mates that retain moisture against the masonry.

• Painted surfaces should be kept in good condition, with a fresh coat of paint before flaking

occurs to prevent deterioration and rot.

• Check the roof twice a year for deterioration of the wood shingles and in rain storms to

monitor runoff and check for leaks.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

#1 “Assessing Cleaning and Water-Repellent Treatments for Historic Buildings,” Preservation Briefs. Robert C. Mack, FAIA. The National Park Service, Washington, DC, 2000 ed.

#39 “Holding the Line: Controlling Unwanted Moisture in Historic Buildings.” Preservation Briefs. Sharon C. Park, AIA. The National Park Service, Washington, DC, 1996.

The Secretary’s Guidelines for Rehabilitation of Historic Masonry (www.nps.gov/hps/tps/ standguide/rehab/rehab_masonry.htm)

“Rising Damp.” The maintenance series, information sheet 2.1. New South Wales Heritage Of-fice. March 1998, online edition 2004 (www.nps.gov/hps/tps/standguide/rehab/ rehab_masonry.htm)

“The Crack Detective,” pp.91, 114-117. The Old House Journal, Vol. IX No. 5, May 1981.

Valley View National Register nomination form, inventory # 74000657. U.S. Department of Interiors National Park Service.

Additional information on the history of the property and repairs provided by the current owners: Robert Norton, Jr., Jane Norton Finger, and Florence Norton Reisgies.

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APPENDICES:

PLANS

plan drawn by Jean Spencer, measurements by Emily Taff

note: photos and illustrations by Emily Taff unless otherwise noted.

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12'1" 13'

12'1"15'3"

12'1"

EAST facade (front)

NORTH facade

(photo by Alexa Ramirez)

(photo by Julie Federer)

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13'8" 9'10"13'10'1.5"

13'13'8"

WEST facade (back)

SOUTH facade

(photo by Christy Atkins)

(photo by Jonathon Brown)

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PHOTO KEY and SITE MAP

1

4

19

620

28

5 7 9

10

3

16

22

1718

15

21

11

13

1412

13

PHOTOS

figure 1: driveway curving around back, west end of the smokehouse. Even here the grade runs slightly downhill into the structure’s base (photo by Christy Atkins)

figure 2: northwest corner: this corner has been patched repeatedly, and is still in need of more work, repair must go beyond patching to address the issue beneath the cracking.

figure 3: northwest corner: looking at the west wall, bowing to the north as well.

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figur

e 4: s

outh

wes

t cor

ner:

note

the e

xpos

ed fo

otin

g, th

is th

e ext

ent

of th

e bui

ldin

g’s “f

ound

atio

n” a

nd w

ould

hav

e orig

inal

ly b

een

abou

t a

foot

belo

w g

rade

as i

n th

e fro

nt.

figur

e 5: a

“sal

mon

” bric

k de

terio

ratin

g in

plac

e. (p

hoto

by

Chr

isty

Atki

ns)

figur

e 7: o

rigin

al li

me-

base

d tin

ted

mor

tar w

ith w

hite

rules

sti

ll vi

sible.

figur

e 6: s

outh

wes

t cor

ner i

nset

corn

er o

n th

e sou

thw

est c

orne

r of s

truc

ture

. N

ote t

he p

atch

y ap

plica

tion

of ce

men

t as i

f try

ing t

o ho

ld th

e bric

ks IN

.(p

hoto

by

Am

ber R

hea)

15

figur

e 8: S

urfa

ce o

f bric

ks re

sulti

ng fr

om a

moi

st m

icroc

limat

e cre

ated

by

vin

es g

row

ing o

n th

e sur

face

of t

he m

ason

ry in

the p

ast.

(pho

to b

y H

anie

h Es

mae

il K

hani

an)

figur

e 9: p

ierc

ed b

rick

vent

on

the n

orth

wal

l, sh

owin

g the

hei

ght o

f m

orta

r los

s fro

m th

e gro

und

up. N

ote t

he cr

ack

thro

ugh

the c

ente

r of

the b

rick

abov

e the

ven

t.

figur

e 10:

efflor

esce

ne o

n a

brick

insid

e (sa

lt co

min

g to

the s

urfa

ce,

a sig

n of

moi

sture

in th

e mas

onry

uni

t. (p

hoto

by

Ed H

owar

d)

figur

e 11:

pie

rced

bric

k ve

nt se

en fr

om th

e int

erio

r, no

te th

e ang

led

shap

e of t

he b

ricks

to d

irect

air

flow.

(p

hoto

by

Rach

el B

arnh

art)

16

figur

e 12:

shal

low

eave

s.fig

ure 1

3: d

oor s

ill go

ing i

nto

mai

n ro

om, t

he w

ater

on

the s

ill o

n a

dry

sunn

y da

y sh

ows t

hat m

oistu

re is

in th

e soi

l aga

inst

the b

uild

ing.

(pho

to b

y Jo

nath

on B

row

n)

figur

e 14:

pla

stere

d w

all i

nsid

e sm

aller

room

on

the s

outh

side

of

smok

ehou

se. (

Room

use

d to

cure

ham

s)

(pho

to b

y Ed

How

ard)

figur

e 15:

Ben

t met

al b

ars/

hook

s set

in m

orta

r pos

sibly

for c

losin

g off

the v

ents?

orig

inal

to b

uild

ing a

nd cu

rious

!

17

figure 16: This photo shows low reinforced concrete wall on the interior west wall (wraps to the north). (photo by Alexa Ramirez)

figure 17: major crack, interior: This crack has ap-parently grown since it was patched last, evidence that it has been an ongoing problem. It extends the height of the wall and reigning it in is a top priority. (photo by Alexa Rachel Barnhart)

figure 18: interior east wall looking south.

18

figur

e 22:

mor

tar l

oss a

bove

the d

oor o

f the

smal

ler ro

om, m

oistu

re

mus

t be o

r hav

e bee

n a

prob

lem h

ere,

prob

lem fr

om a

leak

in th

e roo

f.Al

so n

ote t

he co

ntin

uatio

n of

bric

k pa

ttern

whe

re th

e sou

th ro

om jo

ins

the c

entra

l squ

are o

f the

stru

ctur

e. (p

hoto

by

Ale

xa R

amire

z)

figur

e 21:

step

crac

k ab

ove l

eft v

ent o

n w

est w

all.

Also

not

e the

di

scol

orat

ion

of th

e mas

onry

abo

ve th

e ven

t, lik

ely fr

om sm

oke o

ver

the y

ears

. (p

hoto

by

Ale

xa R

amire

z)

figur

e 20:

Boa

rd a

nd b

atte

n do

ors o

n th

e fro

nt, e

ast f

acde

. fig

ure 1

9: V

iew

of s

truc

ture

from

the s

outh

wes

t. Pe

can

tree i

s at l

east

a ce

ntur

y ol

d.