When we began our search 3 yrs prior to my husband’s military retirement, we had our wish list written out and we took into consideration all of our large homeschooling family’s special needs. One thing was definite, we were searching for a place that we could finally plant our family’s roots and call home. We went from thinking that we would have to live in a trailer while building on our future property, to finding an established homestead with almost everything on our wish list, to include our beloved 1840’s log cabin that serves as our guest house for friends and family who visit from across the country. It is the original dwelling of the family who settled in this hollow over 177 yrs ago.
From the first time we drove up and saw the property, we were smitten. It was love at first sight! We were sure this was the place we wanted to raise our family. The 1840’s log cabin was a HUGE bonus and to this day, is one of my favorite parts of the property.
Sadly, aside from the original family’s last name, we have little information on this unique piece of history. We know that it was in poor shape when the previous owner purchased the property back in 1972. He was the second family to own the property. He would painstakingly dismantle the log cabin, one log at a time and build a new foundation, add an additional room, and update it to have all the modern day amenities.
The beams and the original limestone fireplace really add to the rustic charm of this old beauty. We bartered several cedar logs for the old wood burning stove. It was totally rusted and needed some TLC, but my husband saw the potential and brought it back to life one weekend and now it fits in perfectly with the old log cabin’s charm. Pictures just don’t do it justice!
My father painted this old painting when I was a young child. I asked him to build a shelf for this upstairs room a couple summers ago. I love having special homemade pieces from family! Don’t you?
The old owners planted so many different flowers throughout the main living area of the property. It is always a treat to see what will bloom next, during the spring season. The peonies are my favorites, with the day lilies coming in close second. Can you believe that I didn’t actually cut these beauties for the farmhouse until last year? The whole time, I had admired Peonies in pictures and never even knew that these were the same beautiful flower. (smile) You really do learn something new every day.
Snow in the hollow makes for a magical view from our pond on the hill. To take the full tour and hear more about some of our fun family memories, HOP on over to my sweet blogging friend, Dara at The Roots of Home.
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