Log Cabin Collector

Log Cabin Collector

When James Grisley sees a forlorn log cabin standing in the woods or along the roadside, he sees an architectural reminder of the resolve and resourcefulness of past generations, a landmark that should be preserved.

And so, over the last 25 years, the 55-year-old retired farmer has acquired 28 log structures—all built in the mid-to-late 1800s and ranging in size from small storage sheds to large barns—and moved them to a scenic meadow surrounded by woods on his farm near Pittsburg, Ill. (pop. 575). Without his intervention, most would have been bulldozed or burned to clear land for farming or new home construction.

Grisley’s interest in log structures began in 1976 when a neighbor gave him an old, rundown cabin to use as a tool shed. Curious, he began researching these simple dwellings and discovered that American pioneer settlers were quite ingenious in the materials and construction methods they used. Intrigued, he began scouting the southern Illinois countryside for the few log cabins that have survived the ravages of time.

To rescue a cabin, Grisley first must move it. With help from a volunteer crew of family members and friends, he dismantles the structure piece by piece using a backhoe and plenty of muscle. He numbers each log and takes photographs to help in the re-assembly process. Finally, everything is loaded onto a truck and hauled away to his farm.

“It’s a challenge to put them back up as close to the original design as possible,” he says. “I’ll change roof lines or add porches of my own design, but most of these cabins are put back together log for log the way I got them.”

Grisley has purchased cabins from individuals and at auction, but many are free for the taking. One was given to him by an elderly woman who told him it had been built by her great-grandfather after the Civil War. All he had to do was promise he would sit it back up exactly as it was. Another gift came from a woman who had built a grand house within view of a lowly cabin.

“She wanted that thing gone so bad that she gave it to me if I would just move it. Two days later we were out of there. Now she’s got a bigger yard to mow, and I’ve got a 1854 log cabin to enjoy,” he laughs.

“He loves doing this. Sometimes he works from dawn till dusk,” says Katy Lockwood, Grisley’s friend and business partner. Several years ago, the couple opened Olde Squat Inn Bed & Breakfast using four rustic cabins, each “modernized” with indoor plumbing, electricity, and antique furnishings.

“If these walls could talk, just imagine the stories,” Grisley says as he strolls amid his relocated cabin community.

“You can’t help but imagine who first used them,” he adds. “Sometimes, we find carved dates and names, and that’s one of the emotional highs, finding something that no one has seen for 150 years.”

With pride he adds, “This is the largest private log cabin collection in the state of Illinois and probably the United States. I knew if I didn’t save them, they would be torn down, and I just couldn’t let that happen.”

Veda Eddy is a freelance writer based in The Villages, Fla.

Upload Your Own Stories, Photos and Videos

Every week, American Profile magazine brings you stories that celebrate the people and places that make America great. Now we want to hear your stories and see your photos, videos and even audio.

 Start Uploading Now!

 

Discuss this Article