This week I have purchased the 8 tons of stone needed for the 1787 Seth Babb Homestead protective skirt. This is needed to keep wild animals from seeking shelter under the building. It will also minimalize the Dirt Dobber nests which are so common in the area and improve its curb appeal. 

The stone is to be dry-stacked to within a couple of inches of the bottom of the Homestead and Chink & Daubing is to fill in the remaining space to keep water from pooling under the logs.

Dry-Stacked stone still employs mortar, which isn’t visible in the finished product. Just as with pouring concrete you need a 50 degree day to mix and work with it. So we will need a few days of good weather to complete the construction and those are hard to come by in January. 

So, we are biding our time as we wait on a southerly wind to sweep, wash the clouds away and let the sun smile on our little home.

In the meantime, here is a picture of the stone that will be used. It is an antique limestone that was brought from Virginia. The structure that was disassembled dated to about the same time as our homestead was built and it is a most fitting new location for it and we welcome the chance for it to get back to its intended purpose of protecting the building that it serves.