The bones of history: Amherst History Museum renovations expose centuries-old craftmanship

AMHERST — On the main floor of the Simeon Strong House, long, thick pieces of rough-cut wood, many of which date back to the home’s 1750s construction, rest on short pillars made from both large and small stones. Exposed after removing the wide-plank flooring and subflooring during renovations to stabilize the Amherst History Museum’s longtime home at 67 Amity St., the uncovered floor joists near the main entrance also provide insights into the construction techniques used in constructing one of the town’s oldest buildings. For Michael Emmons, director of Historic Preservation & Architectural Research at Historic Deerfield, who recently toured the building with representatives from the Amherst Historical Society and Teagno Construction Inc., this area above the home’s crawl space appears to have held up well over nearly 300 years. “Structurally, these are good-sized joists, well supported on stone piers,” Emmons said.

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