A very cool restoration. . .

Restoration here.

Where it all began. . .

In a previous post I suggested that I may have first fallen in love with log cabins during the broadcast of the 'Daniel Boone' TV show,

and although that may still be the case, something or somewhere may have also had an influence.

During the late 50's and well into the 60's we would vacation once a year at Grand Glaze, Lake of the Ozarks and we would stay in some cabins just as you got off of the bridge, I believe it was called Shady Slope.
We always stayed at the same cabin. Some times we would have to spend one night or so in another cabin or building till the one we loved was available.
 But some how, we always ended with some time in our favorite.

Probably built around the time the dam was built in the late 30's or early 40's.

It looked right across the main highway (although we were well above it) and out across the lake.

It was a great place with lots of memories.
It is no longer there.

Photo probably by my dad of my brother.

Some panarama's so you can see the lay of the land. . .

. . . and how it all goes together.

Found this beauty while looking for something else. . .

                                                                                             
The Tiblow Cabin. The photograph was probably taken in 1907 or 1908. The cabin was probably torn down in 1910. (The image was submitted by Researcher/Descendant Vickie Wilkins on 9 December 2003.) Click on it to get a real good view.

You can see the floor joists that indicate a half story above.
Look at the log gable ends, rare to find now a days. And the horizontal roof rafters.
Wow!

Faust Park fall weekend

 St Louis County's Faust Park now occupies what was once a farm first started in 1821.

It now displays many rebuilt old buildings.
It is also the home to an historical old carousel..

It contains old framed farm homes, log buildings, school house, store fronts and other buildings.

 This large log barn is the first one you come to, and you can see the log crib if you look in the door.

 Some of the buildings have signs naming the buildings original names.

This first big barn is Sellenriek Barn.

 A view from the outside.

 This little log barn is right next to it.

 You can tell by how big the gaps are between the logs that this building was always intend as a barn.
If they had been building it as a home, the gaps would be tighter.

View from the other end.

 This small log smoke house near by.

 It was reconstructed using mud on board chinking.
Mud was cheap. Could easily be replaced.
If it didn't get wet, it would last for decades. Usually mixed with grass, straw or horse hair to make it bond better.

 Three of the log buildings in one view.

 Frame farm house.

Cabin number four is a large story and a half dog-rot cabin. This is the front view.

 Closer front view.
Note that the dog trot is enclosed.
Although it no longer serves as a breeze way or place to get out of the sun yet be under roof, it now offers additional room inside. A common practice.

 What's this?

 Well, it's a dog mill.
Even the poor dog had to work on the farm.
I guess the dog could dog trot on the dog-trot.
The drawing is an Eric Sloane.

 Showing floor joists for the upper floor.

 Early six-over-six windows.

 Behind is another small smoke house cabin.

 Another frame house and outbuilding. Probably a summer kitchen.

 Detail of smoke house lock.

 Rear view of the dog-trot cabin.

 Close up of second smoke house.

 Rebuilt brick house nearby.

 Reflection in the school house window.

Old school house.

Before and After part two - this is how Pitts looked when I got it. ..

The roof had collapsed in on it's self.
But it hadn't been down long, so the logs were still in pretty good shape.

Nice clean corners.
Note the boards instead of 'chinking' over the gaps.
Notch is called a 'dovetail' notch.

I did end up replacing the bottom logs when I rebuilt it, which I usually do on most cabins.

When most of these buildings were built, they were never intend on being permanent, so were not built high up off of the ground. So it is rare to find a cabin where all the sill logs are in great shape.
And if I am going to add any height, I usually start on the lower logs.

Before and After

A few posts back, I attempted to give a little history of my small cabin I call 'Pitts Blacksmith Shop'.
If you remember, here is how it looks now.

This is what I call the front.
This is the first view you get when you come down the drive. It faces east.













Well, over the last week or so, I have been sorting through old photos. Trying to make categories.
One pile for family, one for kayaking, one for log cabins other than my own and one for my cabins.
While sorting I came across several I took of the Pitts building before we took it down.

It sat in a large field, somewhat behind the old farm house, which also no longer stands.
Roof was kept in fairly good shape, so logs to were in good shape.
This would have been the south side, and by no intentional planning on my part, is still the southern exposure on it's new site.
The boards cover a window on the south.
You can see a door and window on the western end also.

A close up of the fine dove-tail notches.

 This side with the two doors is the eastern exposure and remains the same.
One door was for human access and the other for shorter animals.
Another window on the northern side.
If you look close, you can see boards covering the gap between logs.
It was never chinked.
The boards allowed winter wind protection, but could be removed in summer for ventilation.
There was no second story. It took my brother and I about a day to take it down and move it.


This is the western exposure now. You can see the door and window on the back side.
Windows on the north and south sides now are under the over hangs on both sides.
You can also see how we added a second story by increasing the pitch of the roof.

It looked beautiful in it's old setting, and I hope I have done it proud in it's new home.

Finally pulled over. . .

After driving past it for years, finally pulled over and got permission to take some photos.
A former barn turned into a quilting studio for the owners wife.
Moved several miles and rebuilt.

Almost can't see it now with the growth around it, but it sure looks nice.

Moved from near Old Monroe, and a few logs from another building, it was re-built in 1986, and for a while was used as a quilting studio for the builders wife.

About 14 X 16, it is a nice small old barn.

As you can see, the ends of the logs were never squared, so that usually indicates it was never used as a finished home., and was never sided.

Will be going back to look at some repairs it needs and may help with the project. The bottom sill log on the west side needs replacing.

Log Barn from another blog I follow.

This was in the background of another photo Ted had taken and I asked him to post some more images.
Real nice building. Looks in pretty good shape other than a couple of the lower logs.
Looks like it was always intend to be a barn by the shape of the logs and lack of 'chinking'.

Would love it have one like it out at the cabin.

Thanks Ted.

One of my favorite . . .

combinations of old house and log addition. They look like they belong together.

Near Elephant Rock State Park, Mo.