Maryland

Justice's Delight, Union Bridge, Maryland (39.5133635, -77.168754)

Primary House Felling Dates: Winter 1763/4, Summer 1763

Site Master 1640-1763 (white oak) JDMDx1 (t = 9.79 MSRPx1; 8.62 MATHISTO; 7.95 ALLENS).

Justice’s Delight is a two-story, three-bay by two-bay, post-and-plank house, a construction technique that is rare in Maryland and can be confused with log construction. It differs from log construction and is more accurately considered a timber frame variant since it employs corner posts into which the horizontal planks are tenoned and pegged, so that the plates and posts carry the loads and the planks are merely wall infill. The roof framing originally had some bracing that was removed at an unknown date, but it retains the kick at the eave, most predominantly on the south elevation. The building is interpreted as having originally been a Germanic house with a center chimney, a kitchen on the east end, and two rooms, a stube and kammer, to the west. A basement existed from the beginning under the west end of the house. The house was heavily altered (Anglicized) by the removal of the central chimney and the addition of end fireplaces, the removal of the original stairway and construction of a center enclosed stair, and the relocation of the front door from the east to the center bay of the south elevation. In the late nineteenth century additional changes were made, most significantly the re-orientation of the house from south facing to north facing. It was likely at this time that the partition between the stube and kammer was removed and a new wall built to the south. Where the larger, more important room had been to the south of the west half of the building, the room to the north now became the larger, more significant space. A wing was added on the west end, perhaps at the same time, and porches added to the new north front. Much early material survived until c. 2000, when the previous owners renovated the house. As a result, the structure of the building is the most significant feature, though there are some interesting materials that have survived the last renovation. (Building description courtesy of Ken Short.)

Worthington and Seiter 2023 "The Tree-Ring Dating of Justice's Delight, Union Bridge, Maryland." Oxford Tree-Ring Laboratory 2023/09.

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