MOUNT GILEAD — The log cabin on the Morrow County fairgrounds underwent a complete makeover this year.
Relocated to the fairgrounds by the Morrow County Historical Society, it has undergone extensive repairs in preparation for Farm Days and the Morrow County Fair.
The Society purchased the cabin in 1985 from John and Helen Cramer while it was on its original site on State Route 19 near the Northmor School in northeastern Morrow County.
The actual age and builder are unknown but it was on the 80-acre property sold by James Freeland in 1854 to John and Rachel Garverick when they moved from York, Pennsylvania to the newly formed Morrow County. The recorded purchase price was $1,500.
The Garvericks lived in the log house until they constructed a new residence nearby in 1871. Over the next years, the logs had been covered with siding and a room added.
The house was occupied, often by large families until the 1960s. Society member Clarence Tischer, a relative of the Garvericks, knew of the house’s log origin and persuaded the Society to purchase it when the Cramers wanted it removed.
Volunteers began the dismantling process by stripping off the siding and addition. The logs were numbered and photos taken to assist in the reconstruction. The logs were then loaded onto flat bed semi-trailers and moved to the fairgrounds where a new site had been prepared.
Reconstruction, again by volunteers, progressed slowly over three years with goals being reached each year in time for the fair. After completion of the chimney, a dedication ceremony was held October 9, 1988.
Following more than three decades of exposure to the weather, some of the Beech logs were showing deterioration. The original crew of volunteers who reconstructed the building are deceased so the Society hired Clell Holcomb of Clell’s Coatings and Restoration to do the needed repairs.
Sections of the deteriorated logs were removed and replaced with reclaimed wood. The porch floor was removed and a support grid was constructed with lumber donated by Dean Redmond. Most of the floor boards were re-laid and reclaimed posts were installed. A ramp was constructed of reclaimed wood.
The Society hopes the rejuvenated log house will continue to help promote Morrow County history for many more years.
