09/12/2026
Interior details from a few of Ben Hobbs' collection of outbuildings.
Inside the Wilson Reed Smokehouse, the closely spaced studs and smoke darkened framing and weatherboards stand out clearly from the few new weatherboards near the bottom of the wall. The fire pit in the floor is documentation that many smokehouses did indeed have a wooden rather than a dirt floor. This building was used as a prototype for the Newbold White smokehouse which Ben reconstructed on its original site some years ago.
The next two photos show the smoked roof framing of the Skinner smokehouse, as well as the "furry" texture often acquired by smokehouse timbers because of the salt used in meat preservation. In addition to smoking hams, sausages, herrings and other items, meats and fish were often salted, packed in layers in barrels or salting troughs and preserved through the drying action of the salt.
The fourth photo shows the shelving which was important to the function of a dairy, as well as a view of the tightly planked ceiling and louvered frieze which helped control temperature.
The last photo is a closeup view of the dovetailed construction of the plank smokehouse shown in a previous post. These large dovetail joints holding together planks roughly 12 inches wide and three to four inches thick with no other support or fastening are the same which a cabinet maker such as Ben would use - on a much smaller scale - to join the corners of a drawer, or a chest. This is a reminder that the skills Ben has used in his building restoration and his fine furniture reproductions are closely linked.
For more information on the Jollification Tour of Historic Homes, follow this page, and go to www.perquimansrestoration.org to purchase tickets.
