Term: balloon frame (architecture)
Definition:
a construction method introduced in Chicago which rapidly spread throughout the region. The new construction method eliminated the massive timbers and pegged joints, substituting lighter boards that were nailed together. Vertical studs extend the full height of the wall of a balloon frame building, and floor joists are fastened to the studs with nails. The introduction and ensuing popularity of balloon frame construction coincided with the intensification of Wisconsin settlement and the opening of Wisconsin forests to the lumber industry. By 1892, the vast amount of milled lumber available made balloon frame construction an inexpensive and expedient choice for Wisconsin builders, and wood frame buildings of all descriptions became ubiquitous on the landscape.
View pictures relating to architecture at Wisconsin Historical Images.
[Source: Cultural Resource Management in Wisconsin (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 1986).]
