Harbor Spings MI Log Cabin Named "Chingwa" Unedited

Very early in our country’s life, constructing log cabins was a skill quickly adopted by many new immigrants. Some became Timberwrights and spread out over generations and decades, settling this country. And, they built log homes from Maine to Florida, to California, to Washington. Nearly all of the permanent, “proper” log homes shared the common characteristics of logs hewn flat on the sides, logs joined at the corners by a dove-tail notch, and chinking between the logs. Our ancestors hewed the logs flat on the sides so that they would shed water better, rather than collect it on rounded surfaces and cracks. Hewing also had the benefit of eliminating most of the sapwood from the logs. They dovetailed the corners because, as all good woodworkers know, a dovetail joint makes for a very strong and tight connection.

"A man who works with his hands is a laborer, A man who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman, A man who works with his hands, his head and his heart is an artist."
St Francis of Assisi.
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