The Historic District

In the kitchen, circa 1820, the hearth extends all the way past the fireplace to the kitchen wall, approximately 4' past the fireplace. The hearth is covered over with concrete which we began removing today. What the PO did was throw broken bricks, junk, and dirt on top of the sound section (about 8" below the surface) and then pour concrete over that. WHY??? Why do that? The concrete is less than an inch thick in some places to over 2" in others depending on how much dirt & debris they had in that section. The whole hearth is at least 8' long. There's already so much to do back there, I did not need this.
The dining room hearth is cemented over, as is the hearth in the log cabin portion. The upstairs fireplace in the cabin has no hearth at all and I'm wondering what the story is there.

The people who lived in my house also lived once in yours I see?

They must have then moved to my house. I often ask myself "Why, why would someone do this"??

Tucker, an eight foot proper cooking hearth, going to look fantastic when your done. Pouring over filler takes a lot less cement.

Gothichome wrote:Tucker, an eight foot proper cooking hearth, going to look fantastic when your done. Pouring over filler takes a lot less cement.

True, but why not just fix it properly? These are likely slave-made brick and it horrifies me that people treat things with so much age and history as just a nuisance. Yes, I KNOW it's common, but it still disgusts me.

Reasoning lost to history Tucker. I’m glad the home has found an owner willing to put it right.

Gothichome wrote:Reasoning lost to history Tucker. I’m glad the home has found an owner willing to put it right.

True enough and I am proud of what we're doing here. I will try to get a picture this afternoon if I can get adequate lighting back there.

I look forward to those.

Hearth slab floated over loose fill is the way it's done.

Here it is so far. Where the shovel is and several other places there's no bricks at all, just dirt. It's like whatever the hearth originally was, it's long gone now.