Shelter House Shelter House was built as a rectangular, one-story structure with rubble stone walls and a mansard roof. The structure is built into the hillside so that the stone walls retains soil. The north elevation features columns that form short retaining walls and a built-in rubble stone bench. The Shelter House has a mansard roof, the overhanging eaves have exposed rafters with shaped ends. The entrance is on the west elevation. The interior contains a concrete floor and stone walls that step out to create benches. No drawings of the structure, original or otherwise, were available during this assessment. Foundation The structure’s foundation is likely composed of the same rubble masonry as its walls extending below grade. No foundation elements were exposed or observed during the site observation. Overall, the foundation is in good condition, there is no evidence of settlement or settlement related cracking. There is a shrub growing out of the south wall, the root system could cause structural damage in the future if not removed. Floor The floor system is a concrete slab on grade and it is in fair condition. Moisture is migrating downhill from the south to the north through the wall and underneath the slab. This wetted soil undergoes freeze-thaw cycles causing the concrete slab to heave and crack. Roof Framing Shelter House has a mansard roof; the eaves have a steeper slope than the center of the roof. The framing consists of 2 ½” x 5 ¼” dimensional lumber rafters spaced at approximately 18” on center; there is no ridge board. The eave outriggers have a decorative shape carved from 2 ½” x 5 ¼” wood members also spaced at 18 inches. Although the connection is concealed, it is likely that these outriggers are side lapped with the hip roof rafters above. The roof assembly consists of 1x horizontal wood sheathing and asphalt shingles (Figure 1-19). The roof appears to be in good condition; there is no sagging or displacement to indicate any structural deficiencies. The wood framing appears to be in very good physical condition showing no signs of deterioration even though it is an open structure. There is evidence in the form of staining on the sheathing that moisture was previously allowed to penetrate the roofing material, however this has been mitigated by the new roof. Since there is no ridge board, there is not adequate restraint at the peak of the roof.
Figure 1-22. West wall showing attached retaining wall, 2020 (source: JVA)
Figure 1-23. North wall of the Shelter House, 2020 (source: JVA)
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