Structural Condition
Roney Farmhouse is a one-story, hip-roofed, wood-framed farmhouse. Since its original construction, two shed additions have been added to the back or south elevation. No drawings of the structure, original or otherwise, were available during this assessment. The assessment of structural systems is based on site observations and documentation of the structure. Foundation The farmhouse has a stone masonry foundation stem wall. The foundation was not exposed or observed below grade, so the depth and presence of a footing is unknown, however, it is likely that the walls extend slightly below grade and bear on a stone masonry footing. The front porch is constructed of a concrete slab on grade, which is not original. Most of the farmhouse is built above a crawl space, however, there is partial basement on the east side of the first addition. The basement has coursed stone masonry retaining walls and a concrete slab floor, which is covered with dirt. The basement is accessed via an external staircase flanked by stone masonry retaining walls. The southwest corner of the building has settled; it is sinking and has cracked and rotated away from the building. At this location, a gutter with no downspout focuses water at this corner, which has likely exacerbated the settlement of the soil in this area. There are other minor cracks in the foundation caused by thermal expansion, which are not of structural concern. A stone has been removed from the rear foundation wall, compromising its integrity. The basement walls all appear in good condition, however the north retaining wall at the access stair has a large diagonal crack near grade and a vertical crack the length off the wall next to the door opening. The unreinforced stone masonry walls are likely inadequate to retain the soil beyond, causing these cracks. There is also quite a bit of vegetation in close proximity to the structure that can harm the foundation over time.
Figure 1-23. Southwest corner foundation settlement, 2020 (source: JVA)
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