Early Log Cabins

The first houses built by English settlers in America were mainly wattle and daub. These were the type of buildings constructed by the colonists at Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plimouth. With his method, sticks and saplings are woven together to form a foundation for the walls between timbers, and a mud mixture is used to cover the saplings.

A little later, settlers from Scandinavia had a better idea. Trees grew in abundance in the New World, and  they used log cabins, something that had been used in their country for years. In fact, Scandinavians were one of the first Europeans to do so, probably sometime around 3,500 B.C. Logs were also used for buildings in the Roman Empire. And, it wasn't long before some of all nationalities of immigrants to American were living in log cabins. They were available, sturdy, durable, and quick to construct. They were especially helpful as the settlers began to move west.

Of course styles varied in different regions, and the type of tree used depended on what was available. The log cabin made a good first home for those without enough financial resources. In fact, log cabins were still being used in some places into the 20th century. It was also common to build on to them and clapboard around it all, so that many old homes have a log cabin somewhere within them. The Civilian Conservation Corps built lodges of logs during the 1930's. Even today, tourists seem to love them. There are, of course, modern log homes, too.

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