The Wildwood Outdoor Classroom
The Poles Go Up
Frank Taylor and his helpers, plus crews from the City of Radford have
been raising the poles that will hold up the Outdoor Classroom. We owe
thanks to all of them, particularly Seth Lacy, Seth Gillespie and Bill
Taylor. August 4th. Radford city crews finished bringing in the fill
dirt and leveling the site. Frank Taylor and Seth Lacy plotted out and
marked locations for the footer holes for the eight posts that will frame
the classroom. August 8th. Radford city crews brought in the city
augur, normally used to plant telephone poles and such, and bored the eight
holes.
 |
|
 |
| |
|
|
 |
|
Left above, city augur coming in. Right above, augur going
into the ground.
At left, augur boring away, making another hole. Earlier
hole visible to left of workers. |
| |
|
| Once the holes were ready, Frank and Bill Taylor
cleaned them out down to 24 inches depth. Then Frank and two
helpers, Seth Lacy and Seth Gillespie, mixed and poured 24 bags of
concrete into the holes, three bags to a hole. This created a
footer slab on which the located metal brackets for the 6 x 6 posts.
The brackets were carefully positioned with batter boards, string,
and plumb bobs. Below left, shows a metal bracket carefully
located at the bottom of a hole. Once the brackets were
position Frank and Seth Lacy set the 12-foot, 6 x 6 poles into the
brackets, squared them, plumbed them, and braced them. At
right, A 6 x 6 post is shown inserted into the bracket. Note
the positioning strings in each picture. |
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
ConRock poured concrete into each hole up to ground level on August
15th. Next, the poles will have to be cut to level and then
prepared for the girders. Mark your calendars for September
10th! Barnraising day, the roof trusses will go up on the
girders. Volunteers who would like to help should contact
Pathways. We'll need lots of hands to have an old-fashioned
community barn-raising. Pie and lemonade is promised to
volunteers. Below, Seth Lacy and his friend, Foster, rest from
their hard work and admire the precisely positioned posts. |
|
|
|
|
 |
The Outdoor Classroom Story:
The Outdoor
Classroom is Planned
Groundbreaking
The Poles Go Up
The Beams Go on the
Poles
Radford High School
Helps Out
Community Barn Raising: 1. The Roof Trusses
Community Barn
Raising: 2. Support for the Workers
Community Barn
Raising: 3. Finishing the Roof
The Classroom
Finally in Use |
