log cabins
The two log cabins at Wolf Gap were moved to this location in 2006. The cabin closest to the creek was originally located in St. Joseph, in southern Lawrence County. The cabin closest to the Education Center was originally in Bunker Hill, near Wolf Gap, and has a functioning fireplace & hearth which we use to demonstrate historic open hearth cooking. Unfortunately we do not know more about the original histories of these structures, but we are confident that they were constructed in the 19th century and are likely at least 150 years old.
Photograph of the Kimbrough family sitting outside a log structure in southern Giles County. The oldest man is Starling Kimbrough (1828-1921), who was born into slavery and freed in 1865. Photo from around 1915. From the Tennessee Virtual Archive of the Tennessee State Library & Archives.
Both cabins feature half-dovetail joints in the construction of their corners, and their logs are native old-growth hardwood. When the cabins were moved here they were significantly modernized, including the addition of electricity, adding a loft to the eastern cabin, and a bathroom on the back of the western cabin. Traditionally, log structures would sit on stone piers or pillars, with an open space underneath the cabin. This assisted in keeping the cabins cool in the summer.
Photograph of a dogtrot-style log cabin in Giles County with a family posing in front of it. A horse and a mule are to the right of the family. Note the the young girl standing on the ground is holding a doll. Circa 1890. From the Tennessee Virtual Archive of the Tennessee State Library & Archives.
Log cabins were the structure of choice for the white families and enslaved African-Americans who moved into Giles County in the early 1800s, since a traditional framed building required access to a sawmill. Giles County’s first courthouse was, in fact, in a log cabin.
Given access to mature forests and a few hand tools, a log cabin was a “do-it-yourself” home for many. They continued to be a popular dwelling into the 20th century. Log structures were also common for barns, corn cribs, smokehouses, and other outbuildings.
A family poses in front of their log barn in Giles County. From the collection of Guy Mitchell.
Each room of a log cabin is referred to as a “pen.” The two cabins at Wolf Gap are “single-pen” cabins. Another common style was the “dogtrot” cabin, which featured a central breezeway hall between “pens” allowing a cool breeze to circulate during the warm months. Dogtrots would sometimes be blocked off during the winter to conserve heat.
The spaces between the logs are filled with “chinking” (filling material such as wood scraps) and finished with “daubing” (traditionally lime and clay based, with fine gravel and horse hair added for structure). After being moved to Wolf Gap, these two cabins were finished with a modern product called Permachink, which has actually led to damage to the logs. We are in the process of making a preservation plan which involves returning these logs to original daubing made of natural materials.
Log cabins can be remarkably sturdy and cozy, provided the logs stay dry and free of pests. For this reason, they can be used for many generations and often end up covered with siding or renovated in a way that hides the original logs.
From the collection of Bob Wamble.