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Monday, February 19, 2018

Colonial Log Cabins in the South


Nancy Hart Cabin w saddle notching

In my upcoming novella, Across Three Autumns, part of the Backcountry Brides Collection releasing through Barbour in May (Backcountry Brides on Amazon), my heroine and her family live in a log cabin in Middle Georgia’s c. 1779 frontier. Due to frequent Indian attacks, Jenny White’s father Asa forted their house, constructing a rude stockade around the cabin and outbuildings. Since Jenny—the oldest of four—is unusually tall and strong like Nancy Hart, the Revolutionary War heroine who inspired her character, she helps with the heavier work and can defend from the lookouts with the family’s Brown Bess musket.
Nancy Hart cabin reconstruction

Since I wasn’t describing the more formal homes I’m familiar with, I needed a better grasp on what her home would have looked like.

  • Georgia woods used for log cabin construction included hardwoods, poplar, pine and cyprus, with cyprus more common in South Georgia. Settlers from Georgia’s Piedmont up to the Appalachians mostly used pine. Sometimes a settler might use poplar, which is lighter and easier to square, for the main beams, and pine for the rest of the house. 
    Elijah Clark cabin double pen reconstruction
  • Size of the cabin could range from 15x12 to 30x18, single or double pen.
  • Settlers might choose to make their homes hewn and squared on all sides or only on the inside, leaving the rounded logs visible from the outside. Men used broad axes to “skelp” logs and a crosscut saw to notch the ends.
  • When notching, a settler could choose between several styles: saddle, half dove tail, and full dove tail. The saddle notch was mostly used by Cherokee and Creek Indians, while European settlers favored the other styles because they locked the logs more firmly in place.
  • Cabin floors were often swept dirt or sand. If a constructed floor existed, it was customarily made of hewn and hand-split planks which were pegged to the floor joist, if hand-made nails were not available. The roof was applied of hand-cut wood shakes (oak, chestnut) and the chimney of stone. If stone was not available or the structure was more temporary, the chimney might be constructed of small logs fronted with mud (or “clay and stake”). In cold weather, animal skins or wooden shutters on wooden or leather hinges covered the windows.

Don’t you love the log cabin pictured on the front of Backcountry Brides? I admit, I’ve always had a penchant for these rustic homes. I love touring them, but I’m afraid living in one would require a LOT of adjustment!



26 comments:

  1. I am impressed! I love old log cabins.
    Have you ever been to Cades Cove, Tn?

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  2. Hi, Michelle, yes, I got to go to Cades Cove several times over the years when we vacationed in TN. So beautiful and peaceful! Glad you enjoyed the article.

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  3. Great article Denise. Congratulations on your upcoming release in The Back Country Brides Collection!

    I love log cabin homes. There is something about them that is, I don't know, cosy and warm.

    Blessings, Tina

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  4. Crissy Yoder ShamionFebruary 19, 2018 at 2:12 PM

    I love this post! Log cabins are so fascinating!

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  5. Thank you, Tina! I often think how fortunate settlers must have felt for even a simple log home when surrounded by endless miles of wilderness!

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  6. Great article! The farmhouse where my daughter was born had been built around a "log pen". Someone tore the house down and we don't know if that part was saved or not. I am a huge fan of the DIY network program Barnwood Builders. Yes, my cousin Johnny Jett is one of the builders but I just love that this part of our history is being preserved!

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    1. Connie, you are Johnny Jett's cousin? Oh, my! My husband and I loved the show and Johnny's quiet faith and work ethic when we were able to get the DIY channel. Love what they do.

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  7. I love old log cabins! Barn Wood Builders is a show I enjoy allot and so would like to have them build me a nice one. Life would be rough for them in pioneer days for sure and I admire their tenacity to survive.

    Thank you for such an interesting post!

    jennydtipton at gmail dot com

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    1. Jennifer, so glad you liked the post. I'm often guilty of pulling off the road to admire a log cabin, as they are rare here in Georgia.

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    2. Guilty as well! There are a few here in Ky that I drool over and a few historical houses. :)

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    3. Oh, my. Lots more cabins up your way. We lived in KY for a while when I was at Asbury University. LOVED the old homes there. We got to attend an 1800s ball at a historic house with Lexington Vintage Dancers. Got me into vintage dancing. My daughter is there now in college. I can't wait for her to see the colts in the spring fields. :)

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    4. I have the song going through my head right now, “It’s A Small World After All”. So neat! I hope your daughter is doing well in Ky.

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  8. I loved reading about the cabins. I have friends in Ky. It reminds of visiting there. My friend Kathy had one built in her backyard so she wouldn't miss the cozy feeling of family and friends.

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    1. What part of KY? As I just wrote to Jennifer, I enjoyed living in the Bluegrass for a while. ... Your friend had a great idea. A log cabin would make a great guest house. That's what the family does when they restore one on their property in my Restoration Trilogy. After I wrote about it, I wanted to move in. :)

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  9. I love log cabins and would love to build one, someday. :)

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  10. I grew up visiting the log cabins and buildings at Spring Mill State Park in southern Indiana. It has a working, water powered grist mill. I can't imagine ever living in one though.

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    1. Sounds beautiful. I know, if I lived in one, I'd definitely want modern insulation and all the fixings! LOL

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  11. I love them. The book cover is beautiful.

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    1. Thank you, we authors agree and are very thankful to Barbour for their great design. Works well for a spring release.

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  12. Thank you for the history lesson! These cabins look similar to the ones I saw at New Echota in Georgia :).

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  13. I enjoyed visiting there as a child. Thank you for stopping by the blog!

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  14. I absolutely love this series and I'd love to visit the settings. I go to MA as often as I can but I haven't yet had the chance to go to Quincy. Thanks for sharing this. I just found out my CQ blog emails have been going to spam so I fixed it. ugh!

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  15. The cover is beautiful. I grew up in a cobblestone house built in 1836. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

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