The Philosophy of the Log Cabin: A Vanishing American Icon

Few people understand the significance of the American Log Cabin. Their appearance on the American Frontier signaled a change in cultural identity and reality. Over the centuries, woodsmen in Europe had razed the forests of the continent. Stone became the preferred material for construction of homes, social establishments and places of worship. As Europeans migrated to the newly discovered New World, the deep, dark forests frightened the visitors but also provided bountiful resources for food and building materials. Numerous narratives exist recounting huge timber in three-canopy forests. The innovative settlers created furniture, fences, water wheels, tools and vehicles out of the ready supply of hard woods, soft woods and other woody plants. By far, however, the most imaginative, romantic and fundamentally basic creation spawned by the newcomers would be the American Log Cabin



Many Woodland Tribes
Used the Long House

 Some insist that Native Americans did not build log cabins. Naturally, such a claim is ridiculous. Native Americans used all resources around them. They constructed the long houses from logs. Several tribes had communal buildings fashioned from logs. In order to be more mobile, they used skin, furs, bark and more temporary material but many of the Eastern Woodland tribes became sophisticated builders with log.

The log cabin we romanticize, however, came straight from the European immigrants making their way into what they called the New World. "Log cabins were used widely in Europe, especially in Germany, Switzerland, and the Scandinavian countries. Swedish settlers built log cabins when they came to Delaware in 1638. Other colonists followed their example. When great numbers of settlers began to move westward after the Revolution, they found thick forests in Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Northwest Territory, and the log cabin became the typical home of the backwoodsman."
(http://history.howstuffworks.com/american-history/history-of-the-log-cabin.htm)


The log cabin provided deep, rich symbolism for the ruggedness of the pioneers. The sturdy structures stood firm in the face of wind, heavy snows, torrential rain and even attack. The thick log walls repelled or absorbed musket balls, punk'in balls, arrows or other missiles. Once the log walls warmed, the cabin became a naturally insulated living box. The pioneer family took on the stoic ruggedness of their living quarters. They cooked meals, received visitors, slept and made memories in the small, sparse living quarters.


The log cabin provides flavor for the period. The sweet fragrance of the wood mingled with the candle light scent makes the cabin an alluring, spiritual place. Every nook, corner and crack became special to the owner for holding secrets, papers, valuables and script (an old type of money). To employ a cliche...oh if those walls could talk. The landscape of the frontier held numerous examples of these sacred constructs...the log cabin became the spice of the early settlers, settlements and frontier villages. The structures became center focus of stories, songs, ballads, poems and cultural ritual.

The log cabin has been a symbol of humble origins in American politics since the early 19th century. Seven United States Presidents were born in log cabins, including Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, and James Buchanan. Although William Henry Harrison was not one of them, he and the Whigs during the 1840 presidential election were the first to use a log cabin as a symbol to show Americans that he was a man of the people. Other candidates followed Harrison’s example, making the idea of a log cabin—and, more generally, a non-wealthy background—a recurring theme in campaign biographies. Even a pancake syrup company adopted the log cabin as the logo and name for the sugary addition to the morning cakes.
(http://www.junoconstructioninc.com/?page_id=5)

Today, various styles and models of log cabins provide sentimental and nostalgic expressions that far outweigh the architectural symbolism of many other American structures. Log cabins speak of America. Glass, steel, composite materials and other synthetics offer contemporary design while the log cabin calls us back to another place and time. We relish the idea of thick wood smells, smokey morning cuisine and banjo, fiddle and guitar blended together into a frontier cultural omelet. We would love to go back, even if just for a few hours. The serene quiet of new-fallen snow in the woods, the cool breath of winter at the window, and a sumptuous rug in front of a roaring fire in the American log cabin. There’s something about a tiny, cozy little cabin in the woods, hewn from the surrounding natural resources that just makes us want to snuggle down and hibernate. We want the peace, solitude and serenity of the log cabin experience.
(http://www.loveromancepassion.com/the-romance-of-log-cabins/)

I built a log cabin. The structure has a loft. The fireplace, stairs, floors and roof all come from the woods around me. When people get mean and angry, when friends let me down, when work becomes more hurtful than happiness, I retreat to my log place of spiritual renewal. In my log cabin, I meet God. I see every notch, ax stroke, peg or special place in a log. Cherry, poplar and even locust make up the walls of my retreat. No harm comes to me here. I lay back to the crack of small fires on cool evenings. I laugh with the brook that runs close by my big wooden box.I am at home in this log cabin. This cabin is my castle. From here I can dream, slay dragons, keep my treasures and plan my defense. The cabin serves as my Holy Grail. I am sorry the log cabin continues to disappear from the landscape. I think we'd have more artists, more poets, more accomplished writers and even more successful presidents if we had more log cabins. The light reflects softly off the log walls. The flickering light speaks to me. "If we had more log cabins, we'd have more people who respect the past, feel safe in the day and have faith in what we can do in the future. That's what I call my log cabin philosophy.