This post is part of a monthly series that explores the historical applications of building materials and systems through resources from the Building Technology Heritage Library (BTHL), an online collection of AEC catalogs, brochures, trade publications, and more. The BTHL is a project of the Association for Preservation Technology, an international building preservation organization. Read more about the archive here.
“No type of structure is so universally admired or so universally desired as the most humble of all American residences—the time-honored log cabin ... one of the very few architectural styles that originated in America,” according to a 1940s issue of Vacation Cabins. The log cabin holds a place in the American psyche that goes far beyond its simple construction. Many early U.S. icons, including the nation's 16th president Abraham Lincoln, were born in the wooden structures, bolstering the log cabin's popularity and cultural significance.
When Americans began constructing vacation homes—a trend that gained popularity in the Northeast first—many favored the rustic charm of log cabins. Several documents in the BTHL highlight the form and construction details of log cabin vacation houses.
The BTHL's earliest document featuring “camps, lodges, and log cabins” is a 1915 plan book produced in New York by the Comstock Co. The small scale of the vacation house made them ideal for various “kit home” companies. Even Sears, Roebuck & Co. offered several log cabin vacation houses in the 1930s. One technical publication dives into constructing structures with full logs, but many other BTHL documents highlight projects with “log cabin siding,” which could be installed on traditional wood framing. This technique produces a log cabin appearance without the cost and weight of full logs.
The most recent catalog in this collection features a log structure made from full logs in a system that more closely matched the pioneering examples. Modern log houses, however, often comprise custom formed and trimmed logs made from seasoned lumber that does not shrink or split after construction. Various “chinking” systems assure more weathertight building envelopes by sealing the joints between logs with a mortarlike material.
Even today, the log cabin holds a place in the larger American marketplace, although some contemporary versions include vinyl siding or concrete finishes.
Bungalow, Camps, and Mountain Houses, William T. Comstock Co., New York, 1915
This Comstock Co. house plan book is the earliest document in the BTHL library to illustrate log cabins. A special section at the end of the publication features “camps, lodges and log cabins.” Illustrations and photos show completed log structures, primarily in the Northeastern U.S. This publication also credits the architects behind these designs.
Log Cabins: Up to Date, Shevlin Pine Sales Co., Minneapolis, 1932
The Shevlin log cabins were constructed with typical wood stud framing but used a log cabin siding. “Shevlin Log Siding is made with a rounded face and shiplapped edges in 2x6 and 2x8 dimensions in 10- to 16-foot lengths.”
Garages, Log Cabins, Play Houses, Cottages, Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago, 1935
Sears is one of America’s best known "kit home" companies. This small catalog includes six log cabin models. As with structures by other manufacturers, these small buildings were constructed with wood stud framing and clad with log siding. “Sears log siding, cut special from 2x8 timbers, has all the bark removed, thus eliminating the possibilities of insects getting beneath the bark." The catalog also claims that the flatness of the interior walls simplifies the construction, lowers costs, and reduces shipping expenses.
Logcabin as Designed by the Silas Hubbard Company, Silas Hubbard Co., East Limington, Maine, 1930s
The Hubbard Co. log cabin was constructed with log siding installed on wood studs. The company air-dried its log siding for two years to prevent shrinkage after installation. The company also trademarked the term “logcabin” as a single word.
Paul Bunyan’s Log Cabin Book, Red River Lumber Co., Westwood Calif., 1932
This brand of log siding was produced in rounded and hewn profiles and also offered a detailing with corner extension to simulate early log buildings. “With Paul Bunyan’s Log Cabin Siding a great variety of methods are open to your choice and several practical and inexpensive corners are shown here illustrated with mitered joints, lap joints, post corners, and extensions.”
Vacation Cabins Built with Log Cabin Siding, Western Pine Association, Portland, Ore.,1940s
This publication features a variety of vacation house plans constructed with western pine log siding. Several examples show log siding used on the interior and exterior to replicate the construction of a traditional log structure.
Building with Logs, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Washington, 1945
This publication provides technical details for the construction of log building using full logs, as opposed to the popularity of log siding. Pages show different corner joinery methods as well as log furniture designs.
50 Beautiful Log Cabin Designs; for Vacation Homes or All Year Round Living, Log Cabin Sales Co., Milwaukee, 1949
The catalog featured designs of small houses constructed with a vertical log siding system, house plans, and construction details.
Brownlee Sectional Log Cabins, The Brownlee Co., Detroit, 1951
This company produced a log cabin constructed of vertical log panels that were combined with a spline system. Each log face was a half-log with a sawn rear side assembled into standard panels of 1-, 2-, and 4-foot widths. The logs were sealed and varnished but required a single final finish once installed.
Pioneer Log Cabin Company, Pioneer Log Cabin Co., Roscommon, Mich., 1957
The Pioneer Log Cabin Co. produced structures constructed with full logs in both rounded and square shapes. This construction method used seasoned logs turned on a lathe to create uniform “ready-cut” logs. A special “chinker strip” was used for the horizontal joint between the logs.
