Driving through the old part of town and saw a fence that's been standing for 50 years

I was over in the historic district last week, just looking at some of the old houses. I saw this one cedar fence that the homeowner said was put up in the 1970s. The posts were set in concrete and the whole thing was leaning maybe two inches, but it was still solid as a rock. What's the oldest fence you've seen that's still doing its job?

4 comments

4 Comments

hayden_craig952mo ago

My grandpa built a split rail fence around his property back in the 60s. He used locust posts and never even set them in concrete, just packed the dirt real tight. Those posts are still there, holding up wire for his garden. It's all about using the right wood and getting it deep enough. What kind of wood was that cedar fence made from?

shane_hayes2mo ago

My cedar fence was probably the wrong wood, it's already looking rough after a few years.

cooper.drew2mo ago

So was it black locust or honey locust he used? I've heard black locust is the real champ for rot resistance, it's like nature's pressure-treated wood. That's a solid trick with just packing the dirt tight, saves a ton of work and money.

claire_grant341mo ago

Oh, that's exactly right! My dad did the same thing with black locust posts back in the late 70s, just tamped them down with a heavy bar and packed the dirt good and tight. He always said concrete traps moisture against the wood and rots it out faster than just letting it sit in the ground. I still see some of those same posts holding up his old clothesline, they're weathered on top but solid as a rock below the soil line.