Nathaniel IV and his son, Nathaniel V, built frame structures, overseeing every aspect of construction. They used tools such as the carpenter’s paring ax to square the ends of boards and was especially useful for trimming flooring; the adz to smooth ax cuts on square-hewn beams; and pincers to pull nails or bolts from a hole.

In 1769, Nathaniel IV charged Joseph Ellis for “getting timber, hewing, framing and covering” a house with shingles and clapboards. Nathaniel IV drew this draft of a house plan afterwards, possibly for Joseph Ellis in East Hampton, NY.

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Winterthur, Delaware
SERIES I - Nathaniel Dominy IV (1737-1812)Box 2 - Folder 1

The Dominys kept detailed records of the work they did for their neighbors. One letter from Sarah Gardiner to Felix Dominy in 1830 requested Felix come to her house and do a week's painting and varnishing. There is also the account of Jonathan Osborn III to Felix Dominy, for house carpentry, painting, etc., from 1826 and 1832.

Nathaniel VII's son, Charles Mulford Dominy, was a member of the Joiners and Carpenters Union since 1899. Charles continued to track, maintain, and use the tools on carpentry jobs -- including his 1938 restoration of Hook Mill.

The Joseph Downs Collection of Manuscripts and Printed Ephemera, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library, Winterthur, Delaware SERIES III - Felix Dominy (1800-1868) Box 2 - Folder 18.