Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #4 Revealed!

I am sorry that no one was able to identify the house at 139 Main Street in Delhi, NY.  It is such a good example of the Gothic Revival style; it could have leapt out of the pages of Andrew Jackson Downing's The Architecture of Country Houses.  There are many classic examples of vernacular architectural styles, forms and construction details in Delhi.  Feast your eyes when you drive through the village!  I'll post a new challenge in a few days.

Gothic Revival Architecture

An example of the Gothic Revival houses that Andrew Jackson Downing

 recommended as appropriate for rural living in the years just before the Civil War.

Tune in to Catskills Folk tonight, October 21 at 7 p.m. on WIOX at 91.3 FM or wioxradio.org to hear a discussion of Gothic Revival architecture, the style of the current Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #4 (see below).  

Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #4

Is this house in your village?  Figure out where it is and call or write to me, Ginny Scheer, to identify the house.  (607-326-4206 or vscheer@juno.com) It is on the main street of a Delaware County village, so all you have to do is name the village.  I have the GPS coordinates on my camera, so you can identify it that way if you wish.

When we were discussing the second two architecture challenges,  the Warren farmhouse on Route 30 south of Roxbury (the yellow farmhouse, below) and the Victorian home of Dr. Moore in Andes (also below),  I mentioned that after the Greek Revival  there were many different architectural styles put forward for rural builders to emulate.  One style that was promoted as particularly appropriate for country houses was the Gothic Revival Style, seen in the challenge above.

In the middle third of the 19th century there were books written about country houses by authors such as Andrew Jackson Downing, and many of the treated buildings used this style.  Notice that the footprint of the house is no longer a rectangle but is not as complex as the footprint of the Moore house from later in the 19th century.

This house has many elements of the Gothic Revival Style: the intricately carved "gingerbread" trim on the eaves and the tops of the porch posts,  the steep gables, board and batten vertical siding, and one side that has siding that is totally smooth, emulating stone.  The stepped windows take the place of true Gothic pointed arch windows, but notice the very long windows - especially on the first floor - that in some cases go all the way to the floor.  You might think it was a Gothic thing to do, but in fact this village sports just such long, tall windows on houses of many styles and ages.

Take the challenge!  Keep an eye out as you drive through villages in the Catskills - especially Delaware County - and see if you can spot this Gothic Revival jewel!  I'll discuss it more on my radio program, Catskills Folk, 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, on WIOX 91.3 FM and WIOXradio.org.  

Catskill Mountain Quilters Hall of Fame

Weekend before last at Roxbury Arts Group the Catskill Mountain Quilters Hall of Fame held their annual quilt show.  It was a spectacular exhibit of needleworking talent that ranged from traditional patchwork to applique, from abstract patterns to pictorial quilts, even a quilt that was all white, with incredible stitched quilting and one, called Square Dance, that was pieced entirely from woolen cloth.

My photos are not expemplary of the quilts you might have seen, but focus on the ones that show landscapes.  These I recorded for a future project.

Winter Scene by Mary Tubiolo

Here Comes Santa Claus by Diana Repinz

Koinonia Lake by Bonnie Lindsay

My favorite, however, was a complex quilt submitted by Roxbury's own Sunbonnet Quilters.
Here it is shown with Betty Sherwood of the Sunbonnet Quilters.

And here it is close up.

Many thanks to Pat Cumming for appearing on Catskills Folk on September 23 on WIOX to talk about the quilt show and to Betty Sherwood for all her advice about how to involve more quilters in local groups.

Historic House Construction Methods 1

For hundreds of years houses in the northeastern United States ( and earlier colonies) were built with post and beam construction, in which the weight of the structure was carried by large square or rectangular timbers, usually on the corners of the building or of each of its larger rooms.    There could be intervening studs to support the inner or outer surfaces, but they were seldom load-bearing.

In the middle of the 19th century an alternative construction method was introduced called "balloon frame" in which the heavy posts were replaced by multiple studs that shared the load of the structure. This method lent itself to the newer, multi-faceted shapes of houses being designed in that period. Rather than the rectangular house shapes that had been common in the past, these buildings featured intersecting roof lines, smaller stacked forms, added towers, unusual windows and sometimes wrap around porches.  The illustration below shows the balloon frame for a rectangular house, but by adding studded walls the house plan could be expanded to include the multiplicity of forms you see in the Victorian house featured as Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #3.

 

On my program tonight, October 7, I'll talk about the kinds of exteriors these later 19th century flexibly formed house might have.  If Challenge #3 is identified by airtime, I'll share some of the history of this attractive 19th century residence. -- Ginny

        

Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #3

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY IN THE CATSKILLS ARCHITECTURE CHALLENGE #3
CALL GINNY AT 607-326-3900 UNITL 6:55 PM TONIGHT, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7.


On Catskills Folk, last Tuesday, September 23, I announced the winners of the first two Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenges.  Jane Piasek identified the two story white house with light green shutters as the Hubbell residence, next to Hubbell Inc. on Route 30 between Roxbury and Margaretville.  Alan Reynolds correctly identified the yellow and white Greek Revival house just south of Roxbury on Route 30 as Madalyn Warren's farmhouse.  Both Jane and Alan had songs dedicated to them during my radio show.

This week's challenge is a little further afield, but still on a main state route in Delaware County.  You may recognize the building's style as "Victorian" and appreciate the well tended and landscaped shrubbery.  Clue:  this house often has a table out front offering homemade jams for sale.y

I hope you can join me for the next edition of Catskills Folk on Tuesday, October 7 at 7 p. m. on WIOX when I hope to award the winner of the third challenge and talk some more about Catskills folk (aka vernacular) architecture.  Meanwhile, keep a sharp eye out for that beautiful Victorian residence!  The contact information below is usually the best way to register your entry to identify the architecture challenge, TONIGHT call Ginny at WIOX right up to show time at 6:55 pm at 607-326-3900.

Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #2

Even though no one has guessed the identity or location of Challenge #1, I'm posting Challenge #2 and leaving up Challenge #1.  The two residences represent two major house types in North American folk architecture.  You can identify either of the houses by saying who lives there, who used to live there, who has worked there, the house number and road name, or the GPS coordinates.  Just leave a message on my phone, 607-326-4206, or e-mail vscheer@juno.com.  If you are the first to identify either house your prize will be that I will dedicate a song to you on my next radio program. 


This week, on September 23, on Catskills Folk,  my guest will be Pat Cummings, secretary of the Catskill Mountain Quilters Hall of Fame.    She is the local organizer for their Quilt Show coming up on September 27 and 28  at the Roxbury Arts Group.  We'll learn the history of the Hall of Fame,  how quilts are chosen for the show, and how the Hall of Fame relates to local quilting groups. 


So cruise the "blue highways" of Delaware County watching for two challenge houses and send me your best guess!  And listen to Catskills Folk, Tuesday September 23 at 7 p.m. on WIOX 91.3 fm (and wioxradio.org) to hear about quilting right here in the Catskills.

Catskills Folk Architecture on WIOX

Tonight, Tuesday, September 9, 2014, on Catskills Folk the program will focus not on high style buildings constructed and decorated for the elite few, but on the buildings constructed by and for ordinary people.


Because the Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #1 (see below) is a residence, our topic will be confined to types or forms of residential buildings in the Catskills.  Here are a few of the older residential house types you might see in the Catskills:

One story, center door, long side to the road

One and half stories, center door, long side to road

Note two windows to each side of the door

One and a half stories, center door, long side to road

Note pilasters (flat columns) on corners of house

One and a half stories, long side to road

Note off center door and "eye brow" windows

Two full stories, long side to road

Center door with two windows to each side

Two full stories in main house; short side to road

Greek Revival pilasters, pediment, and architraves

One story wing may be as old as main house

Note porch indented into house.

Clue about whether or not one story wing is original.

If the yellow house is too stylish to call "folk",

 then this upright and wing is the folk version of it.

Have fun looking at architecture in the Catskills and don't forget the Challenge!

Ginny 

Catskills Vernacular Architecture Challenge #1







Detail of Front Door

Ordinary architecture - village residences, farmhouses, barns, commercial buildings, schools, churches, out buildings, even sheds, sap houses and fences - tell a lot about a region's culture and economy.  Because these buildings are often built by their owners or by members of their communities they are also considered to be folk architecture.  Catskills folk architecture has received very little attention while the areas around the mountains have been studied and even celebrated.  Catskills Folk Connection, and our radio program Catskills Folk, would like to make a difference by sharing photos of ordinary buildings from the region.

From now on I will feature an architectural photo challenge every two weeks, asking listeners and visitors to this blog to identify ordinary architecture in the Catskills.  The photo will be posted, barring emergencies, a few days before the radio program on WIOX 91.3 FM or wioxradio.org, airing on alternate Tuesdays at 7 p.m.  So the weekend before the program, check this blog for a new photo and see if you can find the building in the photo.  If you find it, e-mail me at vscheer@juno.com or leave a message at 607-326-4206.  You can give the names of the residents, the street address of the building/town or its GPS coordinates.  To all who identify it correctly or come close, I will dedicate a song on the upcoming radio show!

For now, the photos will be of residences, not churches, schools, or commercial buildings.  It may be in a village or out in the country.  Most likely it will be in Delaware County (where I drive most often), especially within a circle bounded by Roxbury-Stamford-Oneonta-Walton, Delhi-Andes-Margaretville.  So far all are on state roads or county routes.  If identifying the photo is too difficult, I will give out the GPS coordinates and maybe the address on the upcoming radio program.

Hear your name on WIOX!
Learn about the Catskills' wonderful and unsung vernacular (ordinary) architecture!
Enjoy travelling our mountain roads on these beautiful autumn days!

Take part in the challenge! 

Hubbell Family History and Traditions

April 30 on WIOX at 7 p.m. on Catskills Folk I will be interviewing Burr Hubbell about the Hubbell family of Kelly Corners, their history and traditions.  Our conversation will range from the dairy farm that used to be at the Hubbell Farm, present site of Hubbell Inc. and Catskill Rentals, to the cider mill and the maple syrup operation that have always been part of the Hubbells' farm activities.  Above is a view of the Hubbell homestead in the mid-1800s from a Delaware County history, before the roof was raised to a full two stories.  This will be, I hope, the first of a series of interviews with the Hubbells on WIOX.  Will you join us? -- Ginny Scheer