| The rebuilding of Hodgson Mill is completed!
In an article in the Ozark County Times, new owners Hank and
Jean Macler invited anyone interested to come and watch the work.
On Saturday, March 10, 2001, a crowd gathered to watch the workers
set the last beam in place. |
 |
More information:
Hodgson Spring:
some facts and figures
Hodgson Mill: some history
|
| The mill owners found that years of weather
and neglect had weakened the century-old timbers under the mill. Now
local craftsmen are making it possible for the mill to stand for another
hundred years. |
| Members of the Amish community in Seymour joined with
workers from Howard House Moving Company in Dora for the work of removing
old timbers and replacing them with new ones. |
 |
 |
The workmen came on Saturday to set the last beam in
place. They had left this last beam unfinished so people could see
how the timbers were put together. |
| Weeks ago, special steel beams, made of
half-inch steel pipe reinforced with angle iron, were inserted under
the mill. These were used to lift the mill off the old supports. |
 |
Workers from Howard House Moving Company
used heavy jacks to raise and support the structure.
The beams, resting on timber cradles, have been supporting the mill
since then. |
 |
The old supports had to be removed so the Neises Concrete
Company could pour concrete footings for new ones. Later, the footings
will get a natural stone facing. |
| Sometimes they had to adjust the footing. Here they've
poured an additional layer to bring it to the right height. |
 |
 |
Amish carpenters shaped the timbers using hand tools.
This massive white oak post will rest on the concrete footing when
the mill is lowered. |
| The horizontal beam to the left is one of
two long horizontal beams running the length of the mill from front
to back. Each one is made of Douglas fir. |
 |
 |
They have notched the timbers to create holes, called
mortises. You can see a mortise in the timber on the left.
The tongue, or tenon, on the short timber on top, will fit
into a mortise. |
| Wooden pins are then hammered through holes
drilled through both sides of the joint to hold the two pieces in
place. This creates a very strong and long-lasting bond. Most buildings
in the 19th century and before were built this way. Nails had to be
made by hand by blacksmiths. They were expensive and hard to find.
|
 |
Here you can see two pins, one marked with a Roman
numeral. The woodworkers carved this number so they could match it
with the correct piece. The whole thing is like a huge wooden puzzle! |
| A pile of beams with finished mortises and tenons.
The carpenters cut these to size in their workshop. They used the
architect's drawings, and they also took measurements at the mill,
to make everything fit perfectly. |
 |
| The last beam goes into place. |
 |
The backhoe lifted the beam up. |
The Amish workmen had cut it to fit exactly into
place.
|
 |
 |
Sliding the beam's mortise in over the post's tenon. |
| They had to fit the tenons of each brace into the mortises
of the beam at the same time it was being fitted into place.
It was indeed a puzzle! |
 |
 |
All the parts finally fit together. The pins went
in with ease. The crowd gave a big cheer!
|
The finished post and beam structure in place.
|
 |
