The hearth framing was especially important because it clearly indicated that the fireplace had been slightly shifted in ca. 1812.  Originally, in ca. 1797, the fireplace had been installed just to the right of center to accommodate a flue that rose from a fireplace found in the cellar.  However, the cellar flue was abandoned in ca. 1812 when a doorway leading into the north wing was created.  Because the flue was no longer needed, Madison’s masons were then free to center the fireplace in order to make the room appear to be more symmetrical.  Evidence of this shift was discovered by examining the kerf marks found on the hearth framing.  To determine the size of the ca. 1812 hearth, the Restoration Team inspected the surviving sections of the setting bed for impressions in the bed's mortar that recorded the extents of the ca. 1812 hearth.