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Image: via kippies
“This cabin was a real find,” Aiken told SF Globe. “It was two stories, with a very large ‘pen’ of about 21-22 feet square. The material was massive white oak beams, hand hewn and squared with half dovetail notches. Most logs were in excellent condition.”
Image: via kippies
However, there was one problem with the cabin – it was in the wrong place. Indeed, Aiken and his wife Mary had already fallen in love with a plot of land in the Ozark Mountains. Mary, in fact, was so taken with the spot that she had cried tears of happiness when they discovered it.
Image: Richard Aiken via SF Globe
Undaunted, Aiken decided that there was a simple solution. He painstakingly cataloged each and every piece of the cabin, transporting the entire dismantled structure to his dream location. Then, work on the restoration began.
Image: via kippies
The Aikens, moreover, knew that they wanted a cellar under the property where they could store provisions and wine. They subsequently started digging, but they soon hit a snag. At just six feet, they struck bedrock and could go no further. As a solution, then, the house was elevated by a few feet.
Image: via kippies
Aiken’s overall aim, meanwhile, was to reconstruct the cabin as authentically as possible. So, with the exception of a concrete floor in the cellar, everything was made from natural materials. So, when he needed new pieces of wood for the construction, Aiken sourced them from trees growing nearby.
Image: via kippies
White oak, hickory, ash and cedar were all used to restore the cabin to its former glory. And although Aiken regretted having to take materials from living trees, he told SF Globe that he considered these instances to be “unfortunate but necessary sacrifices.”
Image: via kippies
Slowly, then, the cabin began to take shape. A rustic porch was added to the outside of the building – an ideal place to listen for bullfrogs and song birds, according to Aiken. Eventually, though, he plans to use the front porch as a bandstand for musical shows.
