Wabi warned to look out. I have finally learned to post pics.

I have thought about doing a thread on my house build for quite a while and had reservations. Reading Northern Dave's thread on his snow machine was so interesting and informative that I reconsidered. BTW Dave, fantastic thread. You have skills.

This could turn out to be a very long thread if I tell the whole story. It will have lots of pics but first a little about why here.

We found this land by accident while looking for years for a remote location with an old hunting camp. Ideally with no nearby neighbors. Happened across it on the way to somewhere else. We were not thinking about a lot of land, just a camp with some space. This turned out to be 100 acres and it was surrounded by National Forest on three sides. The existing "lane" only went part way. There was a big clearing where the lane stopped and a little shack of a cabin down in the bottom of the high mountain valley. It was February and the snow was deep so that's all we saw that day.

Called the owner who was in his mid-eighties, and he filled us in on the details. The land had been in his family for at least four generations. It had old gas wells still producing and a spring up above the old cabin. No electric but the lights, heat and old refrigerators ran on natural gas. The old map on the wall of the attorney's office was dated 1840 and his family name was on that plot on the map. A 90 year old farmer told me that cabin was the original homestead making it at least 160 years old at the time.

We could not afford to buy 100 acres and keep our house, but I recognized the potential. Long story short on this part was we listed the house and put a down payment with the owner. He had no realtor. That happened just before the housing crash and luckily we got our house sold to the only people to look at it after two years.

We moved into that old cabin. Rough does not begin to describe it. When the wind blew the curtains waved. The old frig was a carbon monoxide worry but that was not an issue as we were plenty ventilated. No insulation meant some mighty cold nights when temps dropped to minus 20's. The ceiling was loaded with beetles that came out with the warmer temps. Gravity delivered the water from the spring, and we ran it constantly through the winters to keep it from freezing. There is an add on section to the cabin that had a shower stall, commode and hot water tank. You have to go out the front door to go in the "bathroom". The wife was thrilled.

We both worked for the same company traveling the whole country. It was in the auto industry. With the near collapse of the whole country, we both lost our jobs as the company went broke. At least it was cheap living here. No income slowed the overall plan way down.

Looking forward to more installments !

Continuing on.

I bought an old dozer and started work on getting a road down the rest of the way to the old cabin. Dug shale out of the hillside and cut trees and dug out stumps. Cleared some space for fields and a site for a barn. Wife decided to try to breed Golden Retrievers for some cash flow. I fixed up an old out building and turned it into a kennel. Needed a place to shelter tools and equipment so built a 30 x 40 barn. Fenced in a garden to keep out the deer. Planted the big opening for the deer, turkeys and bears.

Lots of deer....and lots of bears and turkeys. Lots of bear stories.

Between my wife and I we made pretty good progress. No TV or internet to distract us. Long days and evenings sitting around the fire. Discussions mainly about grown kids and the next day's work.

We fixed up the old cabin enough to pass but it was past being a redo. It always leaned to one side and was a typical patch job by the previous owners with no skills. It was build or sell and I was staying no matter what.

As am I!!

Good stuff Diesel... PLEASE KEEP GOING!

As for pics... Wabi has good insight.

I did mine by making a BS Google email address and a Google Photos album (create an album and drop in pics and share a link)... like this... https://photos.app.goo.gl/D3EVwsEsLJMVdgDz9

NOT TRYING TO HIJACK your thread... just showing another way to skin a cat.

That last sentence just drips with sarcasm.

Well done, looking forward to this adventure!

I had a pretty bad 4wheeler flip and had to stay immobile for a month or so to heal. I took that tie to get serious about a house build. I had built a log house from scratch back in my twenties, cutting my own trees and skinning logs. Did all my own build and the stonework was a big component. So, I had some experience with that kind of thing.

My job and our leisure time had taken us to all 50 states and a lot of the national parks. We had stayed in some pretty cool places for work over the years. I was always fascinated on how the old craftsmen built the structures of the parks. Big logs and beams. Lots of stone and natural materials. Rustic but warm and inviting. I would check out old barns and all the different techniques on timber joinery. I wanted to build something that was simple, efficient and had the feeling of those places with the conveniences of today. I wanted to keep all the good aspects of living cheap in that old cabin too.

We talked for hours about everywhere we had lived and what was good and necessary from each experience. The house we had sold was near perfect, but we even improved on that layout. Eventually I got a plan we could agree on and I sketched it out. Even built a scale model so the wife could envision it.

Your story would be much more interesting with those pics.
Dozer, 4-wheeler, old cabin etc.

Take your time, post um, lots of um.

This should be a fifty dollar hard bound book!!

Tag.

I wanna see this place in person.

To be able to take advantage of the spring and the gravity flow to the house site the house could not be much higher up than the old cabin. I am sure the original builders of that cabin chose that spot was for that reason. Running water is really important necessity and the well we dug had terrible water.

I also wanted to orient the house to take advantage of the sun's track in the winter and summer. Catching the winter sun through the windows for warmth at the same time avoiding the harsh summer sun for coolness. No electric makes every little detail important. Drainage from summer storms and prevailing winds were in the mix. All these things and a layout that would give us 360 degree views chose the exact spot for us.

I was now in my sixties and not as spry as I used to be. My wife needed to understand that this was not going to be an off the shelf build with store bought materials. We would need to make all the pieces. It was going to take a while. She had no idea.

So Ok, now some pics.

I am getting impatient. I didn't help you learn to post pics for all those damn words.

I have to note that our lane is one mile back. This first pic shows the house last week from the spot we first saw the old cabin. That old cabin still stands behind the new house and will be torn this summer.



The second pic is coming down the lane further about 400 yards out. The spring is up the mountain behind the new house.

This is an awesome thread

Now we are getting there!

Keep the old place for a bed, and breakfast. Then skip the breakfast part.

It's coming to life!

Keep your pants on Paul, they are coming.

The next shot was taken a couple of years ago so these pics are not going to be in order.

Very nice!

Some interior shots for tonight. I will do it in more detail tomorrow.

love that hearth--- great

A few more words for Paul.


The plank wall you see next to the fireplace is made from 2x10 rough cut plank that I notched out with a skill saw ripping the lengths two ways on the top and bottom. i then took a draw knife to the exposed edge to give it a hand-hewn look. Sanding cane next just enough to take off the wiskers and smooth out the draw knife work. It is all stained and sealed with furniture grade finish. This is also done to the exterior wall also wherever I used plank. That makes the walls 10 inches thick and foam insulated.

The third pic down is shot from the fireplace side and shows the crisscrossed beams and bar between the living area and the kitchen. The crisscross beam idea was done to lower the ceiling giving it a more intimate feel and add lighting ambience as the light refracts between the beams. My wife wanted to be able to be part of all of what was going on while in "her" kitchen, so I made the kitchen the center of the house hub. You can see the dining area, living area, her computer area and views out to the main field from her domain.

The bar top was a slab of elm of very unusual live edge and birds eye. I took some thought to utilize the shape to fit the fawcett and posts. that is the reason for the shaping for the end as it a half inch away from being too short. I had to turn the nicer of the sides down to make it work. It is still a nice piece.

I made it that way so you could sit at chair seat height and get warm when you are frozen to the core.

I am no cabinet maker. It is functional and fits the rustic sense of the overall build. Bear in mind this has taken 7 years now and everything you see we made ourselves.

There is two miles of ship lapped 1x12 in the ceiling alone. All done on a table saw.

The posts you see are set clear to the basement and weighed around 1200 lbs green.

These threads keep the 'fire interesting and worthwhile!

Enjoying the content.

Thanks!

Heck yeah bud. That place looks warm and welcoming. I wish I had a fraction of your talent.

Great post, Diesel!

It's all great, I'll ask about the flooring.
It looks to be solid strip?

You have some great creative talent.
Really like the live edge wood use.

Thanks for sharing.

I'm glad you decided to share your pictures, D. It's a beautiful place. You should be proud.

Nothing like doing it yourself and looking at what you’ve done after the fact me and my son rocked our fire place last year might not look professional but it passed our standards and it’s there to stay

The whole thing is impressive, but I hope you have some more pictures of the fireplace/hearth build. You did a beautiful job on that!

What are the lights?

I'm fascinated with hanging kerosine lamps.

Nice woodwork!

Great job, great story and pics.

Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for this thread. That is a very nice place! After two years of Covid and political crap, this is much, much needed around here!

Great Job! Enjoyed the story and pictures.

Flooring is store bought. I made all the flooring out of hemlock, tongue and groove but the wife didn't like it. Hours and hours of work. But, a happy wife is a happy life so she got her way. I like it just fine and I have other places I can use it.

Maybe just me, I never forget the imperfections on my own work, I hope you can forget yours's.

The imperfections are a testament to your hard work. You learn from them and do better the next time!

Looking from the kitchen toward the living area




Detail of corner joints of plank walls. All scribe fit individually. The space between will get chinking to cover the screw attachments. It is intentionally not dovetail to allow access, if necessary. You cannot do that with dovetail



This is the dining room side wall before flooring. Same treatment as living area walls

Shutting down for today. More to follow.

Thank you for posting your story and pictures. You have great skill, talent, and perseverance. A Man for all seasons, so to speak.

L.W.

Wow, mad skills for sure.

Sleep the sleep of the just,

Great Post Thanks

Magnificent!

You and your bride should be most proud!

Post more!

Great job all around thanks for sharing.

Wow, man! That's some great work.

Amazing work, looking forward to seeing more.

Great thread Diesel. What a story. I'm glad you decided to share it and look forward to the rest.

That looks like a fantastic spot. I love all that wood.

Congratulations!

That is something to be proud of.

What a thread. I've got something else to add to my bucket list.

The words are great!

:-)

Wow great post.

Very Nice!!

Having built a few fireplaces in my life, that is really nice. I have my grandfather's firebox drawings showing flue details, throat dimensions, damper placement etc. Knowledge that is lost to the present world I fear.

The whole result is impressive, though that word is not sufficient as a descriptor, need one that incorporates great and bad ass in one. The planning required, satisfying a spouse and achieving a goal in itself is an achievement to be lauded.

Well done sir, and I look forward to further installments!

You should share those drawings in another thread so that the information is not lost. Im certain more than a few guys could use it.

What type of wood did your use for the framing, siding, etc?

Diesel--- we built a raised hearth for the same reason---- you took it up a notch. --- the large massive stone work sends a message to the eye

Great story, beautiful work !!

Great story and pictures. Please share more.

G23

Cool! Thank you for sharing. What a place.

I will try to get them scanned, they are not letter format, rather closer to full sized for layout, on a type of parchment waxed paper, and like me, pretty dang old.

Getting a firebox to draw to the chimney is an art, and depending on if you need it just for heat or want to use for cooking and size of wood to be used are variables that have to be considered.

The engineering firm that my company owns may be able to help me reproduce those drawings.

Beautiful Home! A most enjoyable read. Thanks for sharing with us.

Thank you sir for the response. I have always wanted to hand build a cabin. Myself and others would find the information invaluable. I hate to see the old ways lost.

Good job, Diesel!

Day 2 of the thread,

This first pic is of the dining area. It looks out over the main field and towards the spot we first saw the old cabin. Coffee tastes better from this spot for some reason. All the critters put on the show out that big window. Spring has the gobblers strutting and the fawns with their moms. Deer are out there all year but with the rut comes the fights. When I plant corn the bears are about. Great entertainment.



The next two are pics of the same room with the door leading out to the big deck.





When the chinking is applied it will give the walls that log cabin feel. I am making my own light fixture for this room that will be very unique and "artsy". I am still gathering components.

I just had hand surgery, so I have time to do this thread or I would be building the table for the dining area. In due time.

I planted the main field perimeter with 30 apple trees a dozen years back and the apples draw in the deer and bear late September to December. Rule number one is no shooting big game in these fields...It's too easy and would stop the show.

Crops for the wildlife are rotated year to year and season to season mainly for the critters. I have learned a lot about food plotting over the years to much satisfaction. There are perennial wildflowers strips planted in the forefront of this view that just adds to the whole picture.

These pics are of the den or study. My wife is a hunter too and some of the deer are hers. The kids jokingly call it the dead animal room.

The first pic is looking toward the dining area. This post is being done from that desk.



The lumber you see stacked in this pic will be a built in wall system that will display a few rifles and guns and store all the clutter laying about. I read a lot and just getting the books corralled in one spot would be huge for me.



I used to do some bobcat hunting with my friends who have good mountain cur dogs. Legs are getting too bad to keep up with the young bucks so not so much anymore. That's one of the cats you see in this pic if you can make it out. The wall is made of vertical 2x10 plank ship lapped and scribe fit. The whole idea of the build is to take the same elements and repeat them in different ways throughout the house. Just another use of the same plank as in the living and dining areas. All the antlers in this pic were shot by my wife on the property.



We used to have a pretty good crew of bear hunters that over the years have killed over 30 Pennsylvania bears. I have taken my share.

These first three pics are of my wife's desk and computer area. She runs her dog business from here. She can see through the kitchen and out the big picture window in the dining area from her desk chair. It is a cubby next to the stairwell to the basement. The desk is made from live edge slabs with the supports for the shelving done with two inch pipe that came from around the property discarded from old oil wells. I used that same pipe in the stair railing both vertically and horizontally. BTW, that pipe is used on the exterior deck railings too. Two inch pipe fits the hand nicely.





I made the pitch for this are to give it a more intimate space. A flat ceiling would have been cavernous inside. It also added to the look of the exterior.

This is a wonderful home! I'm gonna tag along on this for sure!

Beautiful place for sure.

From standing by the stairwell railing you would be looking down the hall. The hall was designed to give a sense of all the beam work in the ceiling. As you look down the hall you are looking toward the master bath at the end. The idea was to show off just how many beams are in this house. Canned lights are recessed and spaced every third beam throughout the entire house. All lights are on dimmers and L.E.D. to conserve power usage. The whole house runs on a Honda generator adapted for natural gas.



This pic shows the triple windows on the left. They are there to give natural light into the hall. They look out to the small deck and toward the old cabin. Anytime I could add views and light into the design, I did. Living in that old cabin with little light taught me that and it also keeps power usage down.



All the interior doors I made are different. No two alike just for fun and add interest. This first one is pretty heavy from the one inch thick strips on both sides of the door. Clavos cover the attachment screws and give it the "look".



The pic below is a sliding door just behind the clavos door. It leads into the master bath. It is made with salvaged twisted succor rods from days gone by given to me buy a friend in the oil business. They are pretty rare nowadays.



This third door it to my wife's walkin closet. It is a speakeasy slider with small pieces of twisted succor rods.

You are a good carpenter. What do y'all have for a bathroom? Do you have hot showers? Do you have a washing machine?

We are now in the master bath. The first pic is of the stone floor before the clawfoot tub was set. I gathered these flat stones from the creek that starts on our land. They are also used this way under the commodes in the half bath and in this master bath. Gathering stone out of creeks and mountain sides is hard on the back and knees, but it is free and adds to the natural elements theme.



The tub is set on the stone floor. Note the ceiling pitch above the tub area. It is a pushout space that gives great views while in the tub. There are wall sconces on each end of the tub and a built in towel cubby hidden from view.



This pic is trying to show the mirror and vanity. I made the mirror out of acid washed metal and scraps of hemlock.



The shower stall is made of galvanized sheeting with a pass through to the vanity and has a glass door The pass through allows you to grab a towel off the hook outside and adds a sense of a bigger shower.





My wife asked for a particular look for her vanity The pic doesn't show the detail very well. There is a full-length mirror opposite the vanity mirror and her closet is behind that sliding door.

Last pics. Laundry room and bedroom. Nothing special about the bedroom except the views.

I consider myself reasonably handy, but your on a whole other level. That's outstanding work and creativity.

In case you missed it, all the wood except the plank and beams is done on a circular saw to keep the saw marks visible. Band saws did the beams and plank. I burned up six orbital sanders and one table saw in the process. Almost all the lumber and raw material was hauled in my ford f150. I had help with the framing and roof and block work. My wife and step daughter contributed in so many ways, from sanding to insulating and painting.

I absolutely hate drywall work but pushed through it. This is my last build as i am 69 now and just want to putter around on the land now. I am truly grateful to have accomplished this much and have it turn out as envisioned. It was a hell of a lot of work and appreciate my wife's patience throughout the process, she is a tough nut.

I have been told it was foolish to do this at my age and that I would not have much time to enjoy it. But it was a labor of love and there is plenty of reward in that alone. If I were to die today I would have been happy with the ride.

There are still things to do but should finish this summer, God willing and health holds up.

Thanks for looking in and all the wonderful remarks. I AM kinda proud of the whole thing

And to Wabi.. IF, there any imperfections somewhere, my old eyes are now a blessing.

well done . Very well done , thanks

What type of wood are the beams? Did you fell them and do all the milling yourself?

The beams and all exposed wood is hemlock ruff cut by Amish Dutch. Different mills use different methods to cut. Circular saw vs band saw. Since purchasing the lumber price has gone up 50 % last I checked.

Thank you sir. Did the zoning department give you fits because it wasn’t stamped lumber? Did they make you engineer it?

Looks great. Do you find that all the dark walls depressing?

Damn impressive!

Two questions if you would:
1. What is the foundation?
2. How many sq ft?

Thanks.

Very nicely done and definitely appears to be a labor of love. There's nothing quite like a structure that utilizes natural materials, built like a craftsman such as yourself. A very comfortable, warm and peaceful abode that will surely add to you and your wife's contentment in the coming years. Congratulations on completing such a stellar build. You should be proud.

Diesel is no doubt a better carpenter than I, I make mistakes!

10 inch block, 13 block high, termite block tops. 2000 sf. Frame is standard 2x6. 16 inch truss floor. 8/12 pitch roof trusses.

The house is a basic stick build to specs and passed inspections. The posts are only for supporting beam ceiling spans. The exterior 2x6 walls are double topped and the beams ride on that and then another double top sets on top of that basically sandwiching the beams. The roof trusses set in top of that "sandwich". I did radiant heated floors.

What is not evident in the exterior pics is the truss tails were added to allow the APPEARANCE that the extensions...made of ruff cut hemlock...are the roof structure. I had to custom make each extension that also allows the 1x12 ruff cut boards to meet the same plane as the roof sheeting. Try explaining all that to the permit app guy.

I was on a job in Palm Springs and they were building a club house at Thermal race tracks that used that technique.

I had built this thing so many times in my head that I had almost all the dimensions memorized.

Absolutely stunning place! Great work and a great story along with it.

Tater, It is actually pretty light inside. The open concept of the main areas and all the windows allow in plenty of light. The lighting plays off all the draw knife work and beams after dark. Dimmer enabled fixtures gives total control of ambience to task lighting.

I hope you enjoy many years in your dream home!

Outstanding!

The beam “sandwich” you are describing, I’m not exactly following. Could you dumb it down for a hillbilly like me, please?

Natural gas. Do you have a natural gas tank?

Absolutely incredible craftsmanship. Where's the grill and/or smokehouse?

Excellent building skills!

Amazing skills.

You cannot tank natural gas like you can propane. Propane is more dense/ heavier than natural gas. It's really cool that Diesel has natural gas "wells" on the property. Diesel, your whole cabin build is absolutely breath taking!!!!! Keep up the awesome thread!!!! Look forward to more pics of your handy work!!!!

Deerhunter,

When you stand up an exterior studded wall it has a bottom plate and a top plate. A second top plate is added to lock in adjoining walls and strengthen the carrying capacity of what is usually where the trusses sit. By overlapping the joints of the first top plate you create rigidity.

In my case, after the second top plate was added, I then put the exposed beams in place resting them on that second top plate. On top of the beams and directly over the other top plates, I then did an additional two courses of plates creating the "beam sandwich". It is on top of that second layer of doubled plates that my trusses rest. The ceiling 1x12's are nailed to the top side of the beams inside the perimeter created by the second layer of double plates BEFORE the trusses are put in place.

The beams were set on 16" centers. They are 6" square beams that means there is a 10" space from the side of one beam to the one beside it. It is overkill to say the least, but it is the scale and appearance I was looking for.

It was a cheap solution to the beam application and had additional benefits. Easy to work on setting trusses as you are walking on a flat secure surface and extra strong side walls to carry trusses and handle snow loads. The beams cannot twist over time because the beams are locked in place. The only extra cost was for the second double course of top plates. Just as some people add an additional layer of block to the foundation wall to gain headroom in their basement, it was money well spent.

This was my own idea, but I would bet it has been used elsewhere.

Nice build !

You get natural gas from wells on the property. What a good deal.

Well done... from a not as talented cabin builder...

Outstanding explanation. Thank you for taking the time to “dumb it down”.

Excellent build. Looked at a camp on Manitoulin Island that had gas wells on it. Primary reason I didn’t pull the trigger on it was there are no moose on the island.

This design was my own. I will explain it this way.

It is just like most "stick" builds except for the layer of beams added and some supporting posts strategically placed. The walls are just cladding of materials I made myself instead of buying "paneling". The exterior cladding is again my own method, but is simply a reverse board and batten application. It is those handmade materials that give it the look and feel of something much more.

I am not a finish carpenter. I love the rugged and rustic look and feel. I am self-taught from observation and thought. This type of build is not something a lot of women would like or a lot of men for that matter. But I love it and could not be happier with the result.

The work comes in making the materials and gathering the materials. There are a few unusual parts that were made, like the tails of the trusses for instance, but it is straight forward for the most part. Being creative with what materials you use is the fun and interesting part along with having a theme you stick to, so it doesn't look like a bunch of afterthoughts strung together. It should have flow.

You don't need special tools. All the tools I used would fit in the short bed of my truck. It just takes time and a dogged desire to see it through and a lot of planning.

I hope that some young guys come across this thread and find some inspiration to build their own cabin in the woods.

That Sir, is a mansion.

In writing this thread I came to realize just how much work went into this land and build. Things I learned out of necessity to accomplish the tasks. Fun stuff too like food plotting and planting fruit trees. Off the grid is not an easy way to go, but it forces you to be innovative and diligent.

The thread on "Skills" that points out guys that make it work, like Sam or Big Jim, or Northern Dave just to name a few are the people from which you can learn a trick or two. It is to all these independent types that makes the fire special.

I just wanted to give up a little of what I have learned to add to the fire.

Even though I have never met any of you guys after near twenty years and listening to all that goes on here, I feel I have a sense of who you are. Now you know a little about me.

Thanks for tolerating me.

Tag

The outside exposed walls are “reverse” board and batten? Has there been any problems with moisture intrusion with wind driven rain? Also, how bad have the wood bees wreaked havoc?

Nope all around. No bees, It may be the Sikkens brand treatment. The underneath board is 6 inches wide and overlapped by the 12 inch board on top so a 2 " lap on both sides. The boards are sealed on both sides. Besides the overhangs are deep enough to get very little rain on the wall except in extreme weather. In all our snow I have not witnessed snow on the windowsills.

Years ago when I built a log house, I researched what to use to treat the logs. Sikkens was a formula originating in one of the Scandanavian countries. It had been applied to wood buildings that were still preserved 600 years later. Sun is the worst for wood longevity. then moisture. It is the pigment in wood preservatives that protects from the sun. Therefore coatings like Thompson's have no protection in the sun. Wood needs to exhale also so it is kind of like the theory of gore tex. Block rain drops but be porous enough to let water vapor out.

I have been using Sikkens for 50 years and have never seen boring bees in anything I applied it too. It's not cheap, but it works. With all the laws limiting volatile chemicals, I would not be surprised if the original formula has been altered.

Just my observations, yours may vary.

I have been using Knight Chemical - OrganiClear WR Series log and wood treatment for years.

https://www.standardtar.com/organiclear_wr_sealer_stain_coating_for_log_homes.php

Tremendously impressive. I dig it!

A great thread and an inspiration 😎


You guys obviously know the area very well but I’d have two concerns both related to theft and security.

One is the possibility of getting ripped off when you’re not home which I suppose is a concern for many out in the country.

The other is all those windows at night, I’d want to be able to shutter them so as to be less visible to potential miscreants out there.

Again, congrats on a phenomenal project.

Every time I see a project like that, I know I could do the same thing. Then I wake up.

Last year, I arranged to have my wrap around decks stained. I wanted to use Sikkens to match the house. No go. Apparently something was sold / bought regarding the Sikkens product line. Their "new" stain would not match my existing. The formulations and colors were different. Product ratings were not good either. I ended up using another product.

You and your wife have an unbelievable bond. Building a house with a spouse is beyond stressful. Beautiful cabin in an ideal location.

Absolutely beautiful. You are a true master.

What influenced you to use hemlock primarily as your lumber?

Cost

Nobody is completely safe anywhere. Did I mention we raise dogs?

You been living in Texas too long.

Built this barn before the house. This is an old picture before stain. It is so full of lumber and equipment interior pics would be a mess.



Opposing view

That all looks great Diesel!

This is a pic of the Old Cabin that we lived in for years. The lower right side was the original homestead and was pretty well built sometime around 1840's or 1850's from all accounts. the two-story side was added on and was done haphazardly at a much later date. It has a lean like tower of Pisa.

Took me 9.5 years to buildmy place out ...I know what your going thu.....work work work ....did it all ourselves to...

Wonderful home Diesel and quite special. The Golden ret in the drive just makes it more of a home....mb

Gotta have a purpose. Most days I don't mind the work.

Tag

That is nice, great post!

So many little neat features. I’m not one to use the word “beautiful” very much but that layout and construction really is beautiful. Thanks for relating the story. Any chance of salvaging the old cabin?
Do you want to build one for me? 😮