A Cabin for all Seasons : OrOrWhat in the Heck was I Thinking when I bought it?

Nestled away in a Hollow in Smithfield, Ohio was this orphan of sorts looking for a new life before it becomes fireplace food or flooring for the McMansions ! Measurements are as follows: 21 width & 40 length.

The home had several layers of siding. Starting from the outside working inward to the base original logs, siding ran the gamut from hardboard to eventually a maintenance free exterior Who could resist tin ceiling for siding?!

Historically, the cabin was built in Smithfield around 1820. Smithfield is about 10 minutes from the Ohio river and close to Steubenville. Constructed of Chestnut ( extinct since 1906) and White Oak this unusual cabin could be classified as a Saddlebag , (which are rare!) Two pens sharing a common chimney with no dogtrot is a simple definition of a Saddlebag.

The rear door (north) was only four feet in height. Average height of males was around 5 4 in the 1800 s. Notice the original chinking!

Original noggin and chink

Another view looking southwest. Notice the lack of windows on the east side.

Interior upper view looking south. The large visible nail heads are from having a thin cardboard-like covering laid upon the walls. cardboardThe majority of cabins faced the south and had windows only on this side. This allowed for the warm winter sun to help heat and illuminate the interiors.

A collection of interior parts and stuff located on the upper story of the large pen. The limbs on the left were hung in the rafters with twine. I believe that herbs may have been hung from them. The small doorway leads into the upper story of the small pen.

The original basement under the small pen 2003

Very shallow crawl space under large pen 2003

Upper pen wall facing the north. Notice the whitewash walls and ghost marks showing an interior wall present at one time.

Chinking was needed to fill the void between the logs. Some cabins had only 1-2 inches of space while others had sometimes more 1chinking than logs! Chinking in this cabin was accomplished with thin pieces of rock laid on a diagonal with moss, sand, limestone wetted to form concrete.

Pole rafters made of 4-6 logs that were hewn on the tops 4only. Roofing underlayment was 1 x 6 red pine

Kevin looking up as he walks over from the small upper to the large upper. Notice that he standing on only a few remaining floor boards! The opening from pen to pen was only about 4 in height. The unique wooden hinge on the left held the door with a wooden latch! This piece never made it back

A very narrow, steep and sharp left turn staircase! After removal ghost marks of a short ladder-like access was found. Dwellers usually ladderremodeled after a few months or even years while living the cabin.

Some interior views of the lower large pen. The right shows whitewash and a small section of thin,3/8 drywall. The right shows a bead-board siding application. bead-

The only remaining open hearth fire place. This one was in the main pen. Ghost marks reveal that it had a mantel at one time. The upper opening, (thimble) relates that cast iron stoves were replacing inefficient fireplaces.

Original fireplaces 2003

Either my wife Jane is looking for the checkbook to quickly snatch up this deal or perhaps the car keys before I say yes ! Rear, (north) small pen.

The cabin in pieces 2003

Loading

Celebrating the laying of the first log! Summer 2004

Jane and my Dad lend a helping pose

Splicing & the Cabin Rising!

Winter of 2004

More Winter 2004

My night artistic views

More artistic views: Fall of 2005

The walls go up slowly

fall 2005

Winter of 2005/06

Brrr! More Winter

Fall of 2006: My birthday gift, a chinking party!

Wife Daughter & Son help

Brother & Sister-in-laws pitch in Sister-in-

Rick & Teresa filling the voids

Large pen with stacks of hickory for ceilings.

Beautiful hand tooled sandstone lintel and vertical legs. Weighed about 400 pounds!

Rear of fireplace components

Wow! What a difference a year (s) can make. Spring 2006

The pile is shrinking!

Ceiling of small pen getting ready to insulate. Winter 2006

Looking east Summer of 2006. All new cedar gable & soffits

Fall of 2006 Adding the insulation prior to chinking. Modern chinking is white Styrofoam & expanding foam.

View of east side-Spring 2007 side-

Finally a window! Summer of 2007

Just more hickory! We moved these piles around too many times!

Winter 2006/7-ceiling in small pen 2006/7-

More insulation!

The ceiling being put up ( remember the piles of hickory) Hung the light! Winter of 2006

Some flooring (hickory) going up in the loft in the small pen. Winter/Spring 2006-07 2006-

A view of the pegs for the vertical oak door jambs. Notice the new pegs to follow original construction.

Summer of 2006- Standing seam 2006roof! Steffan Boys from Pandora!

Surprise! Some chinking and windows. Summer of 2007

Close up of small pen showing the chinking. Summer of 2007

A closer view of chinking

The house wrap goes up and off as the chinking begins. Summer 2007

Completely free of house wrap!

Summer of 2007

I started chinking in the interior of the small pen. Winter/Spring 2006-07 2006-

A light to shine the way! Summer of 2007 Light from a Tennessee. crafter

Chinking & the light: Summer of 2007

The before picture of the exterior door of the small pen. Twelve to fifteen layers of paint

What a difference 25 hours of sweating & scrapping can do. Colors are selected to reflect the period.

The chimney is almost 4 x 4 wide, 22 tall and weighs over 2 tons

Winter 2008

April 14, 2008 evening

North & South walls in small pen

Ceiling in small pen 2007/08

Interior showing ceiling in large pen

Winter 2008

Spring 2008

Kevin tightens the lags on the door jambs: rear of large pen.

West Side Story

Summer of 2008

Front of Home Summer of 2008

Starting front porch large pen Summer 2008

Summer of 2008

Summer of 2008

Compare & Contrast: Winter 2003 vs. Summer 2008

Porches nearing completion

Oh the weather outside is frightful Dec. 2009

Rehearsal Dinner July 31, 2009

August 2009

An Ohio Farmhouse 1824-2009 1824-

Interior August 2009

August 2009

June 2010