North Bennet Street School

Dates: Tuesday, June 9 - Saturday, June 13 (5 meetings)

Hours: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Instructor: Sophie Linnell PC'21

Teaching Assistant: TBD

Price: $1,250 is the full cost of the class. A $150 deposit is due at the time of registration. Students will have the option to pay in full or pay over time with a payment plan when registering for the class. The payment plan available will be listed at the bottom of the class listing. 

In this course, students will reconstruct the historic Holten House Privy (ca 1750) using traditional mortise and tenon joinery. Students will learn the basics of reading architectural drawings to capture the key measurements needed to build the frame and solve for the curved hip-roof geometry using full scale drawings on the floor. Construction methods cover the use of traditional hand tools such as: chisels, mallets, T-handle Augers, hand- cranked boring machines, in addition to the sharpening techniques for these tools. The evolution of tooling will be discussed, and modern methodologies (such as chainsaw mortisers) will be demonstrated and utilized. Instructors will demonstrate how to layout and cut a mortise and tenon, how to layout and cut braces, and how to solve for the hipped roof rafters. Students will also have the opportunity to learn peg making with shaving horses and drawknives. As a result of taking this course, students will have the resources they need to design and build a small timber frame of their own.

The timber frame raising will take place on the final day of class, Saturday, June 13th as part of the Topsfield Historical Society’s 57th Annual Strawberry Festival. 

Location: Please note that this class will be held at the Topsfield Historical Society, 1 Howlett St, Topsfield, Massachusetts. 

• The class will be held in the Gould Barn while utilizing the lawn and grounds for portions of the classwork.
• The Gould Barn is wheelchair accessible with two single occupancy restrooms and a kitchenette available to students. 
• Parking is available in the Topsfield Historical Society's gravel lot. No parking is allowed in the church parking lot next door. 

Tools & Supplies: All tools and supplies are provided for this class

Attire: This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment, please contact ce@nbss.edu if you have any questions.

• Steel-toed or composite work boots (NO SNEAKERS OR SANDALS)
• No loose clothing
• Long pants suggested
• No loose jewelry
• Long hair must be tied back

Prerequisite: None

Age Requirement: Students must be 18+ to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.