Collier huts
While producing charcoal, colliers stayed in temporary huts.
Construction
The huts were conical, with a base 8 feet across and 10 feet high. The basic structure was wood, with leaves and soil acting as insulation and filling in the gaps between posts. Additionally, huts had a small door, a hearth, and wooden cots. [1]
Location
A collier would construct his hut in a location as central to the charcoal pits he was burning as possible. [2] [3]
Notes
References
- Kemper, Jackson. 1941. American Charcoal Making in the Era of the Cold-Blast Furnace. History 14. Washignton, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Interior; National Park Service.
- Walker, Joseph E. 1966. Hopewell Village; a Social and Economic History of an Iron-Making Community. Philadelphia,: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press.