Back in the early days of the world, people built homes out of strong and sturdy logs. Carefully notched together and sealed in-between with a caulking agent like mud or clay, Log Cabins were sturdy and reliable and could stand the test of time.
Log Cabin Day celebrates the history of the Log Cabin and commemorates this most humble of homes.
- The log cabin became a political icon when it was used to drive a presidential campaign for William Henry Harrison, intending to show America he was a man of the people.
- Seven US presidents were either born in or have lived in a log cabin:
- The first president to be born in a log cabin was Andrew Jackson in 1767,
- followed by Zachary Taylor, the 12th president, who was born in Virginia in 1784.
- The man who took over as the 13th president, Millard Fillmore, was also born in a wooden cabin in New York.
- This were followed by James Buchanan
- Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. Born in Kentucky in 1809, there is still a model of the original building at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.
- Ulysses Grant, who was president during the Civil War, was also born in a log home
- the last of frontier log home born presidents is completed by James Garfield, who was assassinated just 200 days into his term.
- Other famous people who have owned log cabins include Ralph Lauren and the late Muhammad Ali.
- The Wood Museum in Trondheim displays multiple forms of log cabin, fourteen in total.
- Built in-between 1638 and 1643 is what’s thought to be the oldest log cabin in North America. Nothnagle Cabin was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
- Estimated to be around 4000 years old, and possibly the oldest in the world, is a timber construction in Finland.
- The oldest log home is reported to have been found near Lake Ladoga, Russia and was built around 800BC.
- It is thought that log cabins were first brought to America in the 1630’s by the Scandinavians, to an area that later became known as Delaware.
- Others believe that the Mennonites brought them to the Pennsylvanian area in the early 18th century.
- Granot Loma is reported to be the largest log cabin in the world and comes with a price tag of 40 million dollars!
- The name of the estate – Granot Loma, is a combination of letters from the original owner, Kaufman’s, three children’s names; Louis, Graveraet and Otto, and his wife Marie.
- The home, which sits on the shoreline of Lake Superior, has 23 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms.
- Perhaps the most famous person to have a log cabin is Queen Elizabeth II. The luxurious royal retreat on the Balmoral Estate in the Scottish Highlands was much favoured by the late Queen Mother and is ideally situated to take advantage of the stunning views of the river Dee.
- The classic children’s construction toy Lincoln Logs was developed in 1916 by John Lloyd Wright, son of Frank Lloyd Wright, a famous American architect and has won lots of prestigious awards.
- Patrick J. Towle, a Minnesota grocer, introduced Log Cabin Syrup in 1887 and chose the brand name ‘Log Cabin Syrup’ to honor President Abraham Lincoln, who grew up in a Log cabin in Kentucky.
- One man working alone could build a small log cabin in a few weeks. It went much faster if he had help.
- If the roof was high enough, the pioneers often built a loft where someone could sleep.
- A flat stone was often placed at each corner of the log cabin to give the cabin a firm foundation.
- The doors to log cabins were usually built facing the south. This allowed the sun to shine into the cabin during the day.
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