I would say yes, Harold.

The Iroquoian-speaking peoples often used elm bark shingles to face their
longhouses; this would have been a commonly known technology in 1797.

Pat Montague
http://www.wampumkeeper.com/



-----Original Message-----
From: A LISTSERV list for discussions pertaining to New York State history.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Harold H. Miller
Sent: Friday, July 12, 2002 9:28 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Early slab-sided buildings


I am writing a brief history of the first Lutheran church building in the
small Town of Berne in western Albany County. It was probably built during
the summer of 1797. This was before there was a village, so it was out in
the country. Two of the church trustees who lived nearby by and were
operators of the nearby sawmill, undoubtedly donated the wood to build the
church. The frame church was about 40 by 50 feet with galleries on three
sides. I am told that bark slabs from the first cut of the logs were used
for the church siding. The church was replaced in 1835 with a larger brick
building in what had since become the village of Berne. Would it have been
likely or reasonable that the original church had slab sidings?

Harold Miller,
Berne Historical Project, www.Bernehistory.org

Pat Montague
http://wampumkeeper.com
http://www.twilighttimes.com/apr02/p_Montague16a.html