[MassHistPres] antique fencing

[Tucker, Jonathan]

Like turkey vultures, black locust has naturalized here, but it is a southern import and not native to New England.  The tree was brought to this region from the South in order to enable the New England states to produce home-grown posts and similar lumber.

The cell structure of the wood is interwoven, which is what makes it so tough and durable and nearly impossible to split for firewood.  It is a vigorous, invasive pioneer species—among the first trees to colonize a disturbed or burned-over area.  It spreads as much through its aggressively growing root systems and resprouting of fallen living limbs as it does by transport of its prolific seeds.  A grove of black locusts surrounding your back yard (and eternally resprouting in the yard itself) can be one single organism sharing a common root system.

Jonathan Tucker
Senior Planner
Amherst Planning Department
4 Boltwood Avenue, Town Hall
Amherst, MA  01002
(413) 259-3040
tuckerj at amherstma.gov<mailto:tuckerj at amherstma.gov>


From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Dennis De Witt
Sent: Wednesday, July 05, 2017 1:51 PM
To: Masshistpres Members <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] antique fencing

As a point of historical interest, locust was so tough and so rot resistant that in the 1950s, in the southern Appalachians where it was plentiful, locust logs were harvested and sold at a premium to state DPWs for highway guardrail posts.  Perhaps they were used for that here too?  I have also seen a rustic arbor whose green-cut, bark-on locust overhead cross pieces continued to sprout for a couple of summers.

The only thing in that region deemed comparable for rot resistance was American Chestnut, which by 1950 all been killed by the blight, although their massive white skeletons still stood out all along the mountains — gradually being harvested, even after they fell, for desirable wormy chestnut panelling.

Dennis De Witt
Brookline




On Jul 5, 2017, at 11:03 AM, Roughan, Michael <Michael.Roughan at hdrinc.com<mailto:Michael.Roughan at hdrinc.com>> wrote:

Sally,

I below to the Eastern Mass Guild of Woodworkers and I asked them to comment. I’ll let you know what responses I get.
Do you have a photo of the previous fence posts?

….Mike

Michael Roughan, AIA, EDAC, LEED AP
Chairman - Hopkinton Historical Commission

Town of Hopkinton
18 Main Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

D 617.357.7725 M 617.784.6463



From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu<mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu> [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of sally urbano
Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2017 10:35 AM
To: Masshistpres Members <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu<mailto:masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>>
Subject: [MassHistPres] antique fencing

Greetings to everyone.
         I am on the hunt for a resource to replace an antique  post and board fence. The posts are turned and the top is a  large ,rounded top similar to Dairy Queen cones, not acorns.  Recently vandals destroyed a fence such as this.
The original was made of locust which  was prevalent on the Cape at one time.  The posts are the problem as apparently they must be hand turned and mahogany is suggested as wood of choice.  The  bid is  without installation and painting and   amounts to $15,000 for 12 posts and two rails. extravagant ?
Appreciate any information
with my thanks
Sally Urbano
West Harwich,ma
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