Now, as fate would have it, a few months before I began building the Madison House an unusual log cabin came into my life.

I received an unexpected knock on my door one evening. It was one of my salvage material suppliers. He had on the back of his huge truck an old log cabin that he wanted to sell me… one that he needed to sell… right then. The logs were beautiful, the price was right, but there were problems with cabin.

In my line of work it seems that there are always problems, and that if I think long enough on a problem, I find there is a solution.

This little cabin originally stood in the Scottsville area and rumor had it that at one time it was home to a couple who had twelve children. I have no idea how 14 people could have fit into this little place. I’m thankful that I wasn’t one of them.

As I said the logs were beautiful… very wide, nicely hewn… all oak. Some of the logs had rotted away so replacements logs would be needed, but these logs were much thinner than any I have ever seen… four inches thick, rather than the normal six to eight that is the norm. I knew that I would never be able to find replacements.

The fellow that took the cabin down didn’t bother to photograph it, nor number the logs, as “the notches were all bad and the cabin was a mess, completely covered in vines”. What a shame.

I bought that little cabin that night. It had quickly grabbed my heart.

I put her up on my lot as a three sided cabin… it was the only option I could think of. I thought it would make a great addition to someone’s home one day.

I didn’t know that someone would soon be me.

Originally posted 2015-03-24 19:20:59.

With the land purchased, the driveway installed, and the site cleared, I could finally start the design process. To have started planning any earlier would have been a wasted effort.

I took measurements of the house site, which was very small due to the steep grade. I knew that a walk-out basement would be needed, as well as the construction of two massive stone retaining walls.

I spent days on the site, observing the sun rising and setting. I paid attention to wind direction patterns. I took into consideration the direction of the views that I would want to enjoy in the future (and the views I might want to avoid).

Originally posted 2015-03-24 17:44:37.

I bought ten acres of hillside property in Madison County in 1991. It was a long narrow property starting at a paved road, then crossing a small creek and quickly climbing up a hill, all the way to the top.

I found that the grade of the land steepened the further I entered to the point that I realized that building a driveway to it’s peak was out of the question.

But, I did find a small potential building spot about two thirds of the way up that was just perfect for a house site. It was a bit tight… I would have to build some retaining walls to give me the minimal amount of level land needed for a small family.

Originally posted 2015-03-24 16:22:36.

I thank each and every one of you for “tuning in” as I reminisce about my experiences building and restoring unique homes. It means a lot to me that there are so many others who share my passion for handmade houses.

My deepest hope is that my photos and comments might inspire others to build their dream home.

Originally posted 2015-03-23 17:11:15.