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Sticks and Stones: Vernacular Architecture in San Bernardino County

Presented by San Bernardino County Museum at San Bernardino County Museum

April 19-November 2, 2008

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“Sticks and Stones: Vernacular Architecture in San Bernardino County” opens April 19 at the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. The exhibit, which will run through November 2, is free with museum admission. Think about the buildings you see each day in your community: the school you attend, or where you work and shop. Are the buildings you are familiar with old, or are they newly built? What architectural features do these structures have? What appeals to you about the buildings? What materials are they made out of, and do you know where those materials came from? What about your own home? Is it an older brick apartment building or a Victorian home made out of wood? Is it a cabin in the mountains, or a new house in a neighborhood? Today, by looking closely at architecture and building materials, you can learn about the past and think about the future. “In ‘Sticks and Stones,’ visitors will find out why water-smoothed stones and bricks made out of dirt and straw were popular and readily available in this region’s past, and why these materials are perhaps relevant today, as the movement toward green building accelerates,” said Michele Nielsen, museum curator of history. “There is something to be said for using what you have at hand, and adobe construction is a great example of that. In many areas of the county, straw, native clay soil, water and animal manure were used to create bricks that were then used to form strong, thick walls for buildings that stayed cool in summer and warm in winter. Many of these historic buildings are still standing. With a new awareness of the need for energy and resource efficient architecture, variations on earthen buildings like rammed earth construction are gaining in popularity.” In the past, the availability of wood from local forested areas was seemingly endless. Many structures, from mountain lodges that featured Adirondack-style twig trim to Queen Anne Victorian cottages covered in decorative details were created using forest resources. Today, the look of wood still has appeal, but environmental, sustainability, and availability issues are changing the way wood products are grown, harvested, and used. As a result, engineered wood or composites of forest product waste along with recycled plastic materials and other components are gaining prominence. Decorative details like columns and pilasters that used to be made of solid wood or plaster can now be created from these new products. “As you look at the buildings around you, focus on the details that appeal to you,” said Nielsen. “Perhaps you really like arches, a certain type of window, or maybe stonework catches your eye. Visit ‘Sticks and Stones’ and try your hand at identifying some of these details, often rooted in classic Greek or Roman architecture. Discover the difference between a pilaster and a parapet and how buildings we live with each day are rooted in our history.” The exhibit centers around photographs from the museum archives that show a wide variety of residential and commercial buildings from the nineteenth and early-to-middle twentieth century throughout San Bernardino County. Visitors will also see examples of building tools and building toys of the past, and can try to create a structural arch out of blocks.