Sumner County committee approves $2,500 for further inspection of Latimer Brown House after contractor finds mixed historic fabric

Sumner County commissionerson Monday approved up to $2,500 to fund further exploratory inspection of the Latimer Brown House, a county-owned historic property, and heard a contractor describe a mix of original log construction and later alterations that will determine how the building is restored.

The contractor, licensed preservation contractor Chris Coker, told the General Operations Committee his one-day inspection found an original log section under what he labeled the "A" area and several later additions. He described hand-hewn beams and a rock-pier foundation under one section and a poured-concrete pier system under another. "It's an absolutely beautiful house," Coker said during his presentation, describing hand-hewn rafters, 16- to 18-inch dovetail beams and an attic roof structure that appears consistent across parts of the building.

The committee was told the house shows multiple construction periods stacked together. Coker said portions he labeled B, C and D contain later floor systems and framed walls while section A appears to be the…