I've always been fascinated with old log cabins. Who built them? Why? How did they get the logs to fit so snug? It seemed like a lot of work just to build a small house. My interest is two-fold. I love history and I love nature. These old log cabins combine the two in a spectacular way.
My family has owned property near Cambridge, Ohio since the 70's. So, I had the place to rebuild...I just needed to find a structure. This was tough. I tried many ways to locate an old cabin...word of mouth, internet, driving around searching. The internet seemed to work best. I did not want to purchase a cabin from a dealer...someone who finds them, takes them down and sells them at an inflated price. Over a number of years I traveled to view a number of cabins within a 2-3 hour drive. Most of them had the same problems....either too many rotten logs or too high a price from the owners. You always seem to get the same story, "This cabin was here when my great-grandfather was a child". These cabins are uncommon, but not rare, in Ohio. Research shows that there could still be as many as 100 old hewn cabins in Athens County...many covered by siding. FINALLY...a lady contacted me about a cabin she had that was covered in bricks near Hillsboro, Ohio.
Just wondering - were you ever able to complete this project? I am currently restoring an early 1800's Ohio log cabin. I've always dreamed of doing this, too, but it's hard. I am a 63-yr-old female with limited funds. I finally located a local timber framer who is helping to salvage most of the logs I stored for so many years, re-notching them, and making replacements for the ones I lost over time.
ReplyDeleteI lived in Athens County for about 9 years, so I have some familiarity with some of its log structures.