Split Rail Fences

In the early days of Cades Cove and Millers Cove, the most common fences to be seen were made from split rails. Well over one hundred years ago, the native chestnut tree was common in our region of East Tennessee. These trees grew straight and tall with the grain being even, making the wood easy to split.
When splitting rails, the log was scored with an axe, and then a number of gluts, wooden wedges usually made from dogwood, were pounded into the scored line and the log was split in half. As many as six or eight dogwood wedges were used to split each log.
The process was repeated until the entire log was split into rails. Long before the days of wire fencing, split rail fences were constructed to keep cattle out of the cornfields and garden plots.
They were also built to fence in grazing cattle and for hog lots. Today, we enjoy the sight of split rail fences at historic sites, but for our pioneer ancestors, rail fences were an essential part of farm life.

John Coykendall, Master Gardener

In the early days of Cades Cove and Millers Cove, the most common fences to be seen were made from split rails. Well over one hundred years ago, the native chestnut tree was common in our region of East Tennessee. These trees grew straight and tall with the grain being even, making the wood easy to split.

When splitting rails, the log was scored with an axe, and then a number of gluts, wooden wedges usually made from dogwood, were pounded into the scored line and the log was split in half. As many as six or eight dogwood wedges were used to split each log.

The process was repeated until the entire log was split into rails. Long before the days of wire fencing, split rail fences were constructed to keep cattle out of the cornfields and garden plots.

They were also built to fence in grazing cattle and for hog lots. Today, we enjoy the sight of split rail fences at historic sites, but for our pioneer ancestors, rail fences were an essential part of farm life.

John Coykendall, Master Gardener