Interesting point.  It sure seems more likely that some one retrieved 
nails after the fire had burned the house down, rather than burning it 
to retrieve the nails.  But then, there are people who like really big 
camp fires...and probably need rationalization when they move that far 
up the scale.

-jc

On Monday, August 11, 2003, at 12:10  PM, Rudy Christian wrote:

> Does anyone know of any creditable record of burning a house to 
> retrieve the nails? I have heard this story more times than I can 
> count, but I’m not so sure it doesn’t belong in the nudge-nudge 
> wink-wink category along with the one about hanging a stick of 
> dynamite in the building to loosen the siding nails.
>
>  
>
> Curious Rudy
>
>
John Callan, Architect, Inc.
Historic Preservation and Museum Services
784 Deerwood Circle
Lino Lakes, Minnesota  55014-5433

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