Historic Structure Report: Beaman Barn, Blow-Me-Down Farm
Fix K. 2016. Historic Structure Report: Beaman Barn, Blow-Me-Down Farm. Historic Structure Report. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service. Lowell, Massachusetts
This report traces the developmental history of the Beaman Barn. The information provided in this report is a culmination of extensive research from primary source material (some of which was found online), secondary source material, and onsite physical observation and investigation. The project began with a thorough reading of former Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (SAGA) Superintendent John H. Dryfhout’s book, “This Land of Pure Delight”. Written in 2000, it provided a wealth of information about Charles Cotesworth Beaman, Jr. and the Blow-Me-Down Farm, with extensive background and source information used to guide subsequent searches for primary and secondary source material. An additional source of great value was the Blowmedown Record. This is a diary of sorts, recording daily activities of the farm and names of visitors beginning in 1884 when the Beamans moved into their home at Blow-Me-Down Farm, and ending in 1917 with condolences recorded upon the death of his wife, Hettie Beaman. It includes occasional references to images which are not included in the transcribed, typewritten copy provided by SAGA archives; the original document was not readily accessible. The Record was written primarily by Beaman but appears to have had additional authors as the voice changes and refers to Beaman in the third person, both during his lifetime and after his death. As is common with many farm structures, much of the building material in the barn has been repurposed from other buildings constructed at various time periods. While presenting interesting evidence of past building campaigns, this makes it difficult to definitively determine construction chronologies of the building as it stands today. Within any given spot it’s not uncommon to find a mix of nail types, saw marks, and fabrication methods from different periods of construction. Every effort was made to draw conclusions regarding construction history despite those hindrances, while remaining within the confines of time allotted for the project and the prescribed level of investigation.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Fix, Karen
- Date of Issue
- 2016-09
- Publisher
- U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
- Units
- NER , SAGA
- Keywords
- Abijah Porter, Beaman, Bernard and Helen Stearns, blow-me-down farm, Charles Cotesworth Beaman Jr, Chester Pike, Don and Vera MacLeay, Evarts Family, James Campbell Lewis, Moses Chase, Reuben Davis, Saint-Gaudens Memorial Trust, William E. Beaman
- Subjects
- CRIS-HS: 1029969: Blow-Me-Down Farm Bank Barn