Friday, July 12, 2013

Nails

The following photo shows 10 hand-made iron nails that came out of my house when it was rehabilitated in 2005. The other nail is bronze.













The bronze nail was recently unearthed in the yard of another small cottage on Howard Street. The house was built ca. 1840, and we think the bronze nail is one one of several that once helped fasten beams in a sailing ship, and were then re-used in building the house.













This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is a photo gallery of past July 4th parade photos. You can read it here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news062113.htm.

5 comments:

  1. Toni W.8:24 AM

    My father was a carpenter and a jack of all trades. He could literally build a house from the foundation to the shingles and his houses stand firm.
    Nails have always fascinated me as there were always an abundance of them around our home.
    These nails touch my heart and make me smile wondering what Dad knew of older ways of construction.
    Thank you for sharing.

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  2. Anonymous9:20 AM

    Is it not true that often times lumber wood boards etc used by sea coast town residents that is ship wrecks provided a source of lumber, if one were to inspect isolated sea coast village structures perhaps the wood found in the buildings were non native species. If there was no harbor and no wealth to speak of( to afford the fine lumber in the structures) perhaps one could interpret this as a recycling effort . If the Nails were re used-- the nails were in Boards and well, the boards were also used one would assume.

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    1. Many older houses on Ocracoke were built with lumber from shipwrecks -- often from cargo that washed ashore, but also with timbers from the ships themselves.

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  3. Anonymous9:35 AM

    I am so sorry to read of Lou Ann's slip trip and fall. Was the same arm broken as the one in China? I did laugh as I read the story but I got mad too. I hope the culprits are apprehended and made to pay her medical bills. Maybe I should not have laughed-- Lou Ann I am sorry I laughed but-- where I work a particular co worker often startles me and I scream I try for a controlled scream but if I am truly caught off guard I allow the scream to linger thus hoping to transfer the embarrassment. Once again Lou Ann I hope there were witnesses a glimpse of clothing to ID the OI village i d i o t s. D> Downer

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    1. This time it was the left wrist. The culprits were not trying to hurt anyone...but their "prank" was thoughtless. I will post an update on Lou Ann & her injury in a few days. Have been waiting for more recent x-ray results.

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