September 30, 2015

In the U.S., we associate log cabins with pioneer days; intrepid early Americans leaving their homes in the East or Europe to build a new life on the frontier. For many of us, the first image that comes to mind when we think of a log cabin is Little House on the Prairie.

The original log cabin designs were simple, as trees were the only building material, and the ax, adz, and auger were the only tools for construction.  The typical log cabin design was a small, one-room hut with one door and possibly one or more small windows. The logs were stacked and the spaces were filled with mud to keep out the wind and cold. There were no nails during this time, so the logs were fastened with notched ends, or with wooden pegs. Read more