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Unbelievable Facts You Did Not Know About Log Cabin Homes

The picture above looks pretty unbelievable. But, it is real. One might take it for a fake or that it was photoshopped. But, it was not. The cabin is real, the colors of the trees, and the openness of the land are all real. It is amazing the things you learn you never knew. And as lifelong learners, we love finding out unbelievable facts about, well, anything! We love log cabin homes too, and we love maintaining, fixing, and refinishing them. With each project we do, we find something new and exciting about the history of the home, the family, or the area. With that in mind, we thought we would tickle your brain with some unbelievable facts about log cabin homes.

They Birthed Fame and Politics

Seven United States presidents were either born or raised in log cabins. They include Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, James Buchanan and Adlai Stevenson. Even more unbelievable is that the log cabin came to be seen as a political icon when William Henry Harrison used it as a for a presidential bid to show he was a man of the people.

Largest Log Cabin Homes in The World

Granot Loma is supposed to be the largest log cabin home in the world and comes at a price tag of a whopping 40 million dollars at its highest point! The home sits on the shoreline of lake superior. It has 23 bedrooms and 13 bathrooms. It has a 30 foot long fireplace and there are other structures on the property.

World’s Cheapest Log Cabin

This log cabin was built on a couple’s month’s savings. It has a loft that doubles its space, small windows to keep heat in and cold out, and has wide eaves for when it rains and snows. The design is based on a Norwegian storehouse. That is small! The couple built it themselves using simple tools and cutting down and stripping their own trees. Talk about cheap labor!

Breakfast Syrup and Toys

Lincoln logs are a classic children’s toy. They were created by the son of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Originally made from wood, the little logs with notched ends that allow them to connect to build a log cabin home, are now made of plastic. Lincoln logs are now 100 years old!

Log Cabin Syrup is named after President Abraham Lincoln. Patrick J Towle, a grocer from Minnesota, has been making log cabin syrup for a long time: over 100 years! Patrick introduced the syrup in 1887 and chose the name to honor Lincoln who grew up in a Kentucky log cabin home. The syrup as well as lincoln logs remain popular in the United States today.

Log Cabins are amazing as are some of the facts about them. Unbelievably, who knew there was such an expensive log cabin and such a cheap one made by hand today. Who knew toys and syrups were designed after them and still exist today. Pretty amazing facts. To learn some amazing facts about how we can help you keep your log cabin home in tip top shape, contact us today

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Historic Log Cabins of America

Log cabins are a fascinating type of home. They not only are literally made from trees, but they have a romanticism about them that harkens back to a time when people made a way for themselves. A time when people built their homes themselves, harvested the land, cared for the animals, and lived a simple life. While this may be just a romantic vision of the past, it is part of what makes log cabins so special. Log cabins are akin to rowhomes of today. They were the standard living, but living in them was hard.

Log cabins that make up the history of the American push west were small. They often were no bigger than your living room, and they had some space for a couple piece of furniture, a furnace, stove, and some beds. It is hard to imagine living like this now, which makes it even more amazing to think about how so many people achieved so much to help build this amazing country while living in such conditions. At Jaworski Coatings we appreciate this history, and we take pride in keeping log homes well maintained so they become a part of a future generations history. Below are some of the historic log cabins we appreciate from American History.

C.A. Nothnagle House
This is the oldest standing log cabin the United States. In fact, some say it is possibly the longest surviving wooden structure in the Western Hemisphere, Located in Gibbstown, New Jersey, this log cabin home was built sometime between 1638-1643. The house is constructed of hewn logs, dovetail joints and wooden pegs. The fireplace bricks are thought to have been hauled overseas as ship ballast on the same boat that brought the builder. The builder is unknown but thought to be of Scandinavian lineage. This house could be 375 years old!
Steven’s House
This log cabin home sits a block and a half away from the Baltimore Street battle site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was once inhabited by Thaddeus Stevens. While the structure was built in 1790, the soon-to-be powerful Congressman moved to Gettysburg, in 1816. He opened a law practice and purchased this property, which made him the most famous of this cabin’s occupiers. How long he lived in the cabin during his 26 years in Gettysburg and how he used it is still up for debate. Stevens fought for emancipation, authored the Fourteenth Amendment and spearheaded the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. The log cabin went on the market in 2012 and was purchased almost immediately.
Mortenson-Schorn House
The Mortenson-Schorn, also called VanLeer sometimes, Log Cabin in Swedesboro, New Jersey, was originally built along the north bank of the Raccoon River by Morton Mortenson. A Swedish-Finnish man who emigrated to the New World around 1654, his grandson, John Morton, would go on to sign of the Declaration of Independence as a Pennsylvania delegate. This house is constructed of cedar logs and lime mortar caulk. It was also rumored to have been a station stop of the Underground Railroad. It has been relocated to a cemetery on the Trinity Episcopal Church property.

 

The history of log cabin homes tells the history of America. At Jaworski Coatings, we like keeping American history prestine. We would not be able to own and operate our family business without those who came before us, log cabin dwellers and all, to make this the land of opportunity. Call us today to see how we can help keep your log cabin home pristine so it makes history of its own.