Backcountry Notes

The town of Abingdon in Washington County, Virginia, grew up around an early settlement called Wolf Hill. In the early Backcountry, Abingdon was a crossroads, with settlers and traders coming down the Great Road and moving by the same road to Tennessee, or by the Wilderness Road to Kentucky. Some of the log cabins built during those early times have survived and several are now located within the Abingdon town limits.

The style of log-cabin building found in Washington County differs from that ordinarily found in the log structures of Tazewell County, many of which are preserved at the Crab Orchard Museum. Washington County cabins were built with rafter roof systems, rather than purlins, and the builders used rough-cut limestone for chimneys and foundations - - both indicating a greater availability of skilled carpenters and masons.

The Parson Cummings Cabin

Parson Cummings Cabin at Sinking Spring, Abingdon, VirginiaCharles Cummings was minister of the Sinking Springs Presbyterian Church from 1773 until 1792. “Parson” Cummings built this cabin, which was originally located about two miles north of Abingdon on the road now known as U.S. Route 19. The cabin was given to the church by Cummings’ descendants and was moved to its present location at Sinking Spring Cemetery in 1971.

View of the Parson Cummings Cabin showing end gable and front porch. Note that the gable is covered in clapboard siding, a characteristic of the method of building the roof with rafters. The shrub beside the porch really should be removed, not only because it is inauthentic, but more importantly to guard against insects and moisture.

Front view. There are two front doors, one leading into the kitchen/dining area, the other into the bedroom.

View of right-hand gable end of cabin, showing gable sided with clapboards and decorative ventilation holes. In this style of construction, the rafters are set atop the highest log run at a 90-degree angle to the long axis of the cabin. The runs of logs are not extended into the gable; instead, timber-framing is added and then clapboards are nailed on. This method required more time and expense than purlins.

This view shows the back of the cabin. The rafter ends are boxed for protection from the elements. Note the ventilation of the foundation. The Cummings Cabin restoration is very well done in general and the structure remains in good condition. For a larger view of this image, click on this thumbnail:

The back door of the Parson Cummings Cabin. Note the traces of red paint on the timbers. This was probably the iron oxide and lead paint we now more closely associate with barns. This kind of paint served a serious purpose - - protecting the wooden members of the cabin from the elements and the insects. The exposed end-grain of the framing timbers is particularly susceptible to moisture damage; end-grain is porous and wicks moisture into the timber. Left untended, this problem will eventually cause fatal rot in the joinery. Where the ends of the timbers have been neglected, the grain becomes etched, increasing its susceptibility to rot and invasion. Modern restorationists eschew the red barn paint, thinking that it appears inauthentic, oblivious to the fact that if the structure had not been protected with such paint it would not have been there to restore.

Interior of the Parson Cummings cabin, showing fireplace outfitted for cooking. The location of the fireplace and chimney in the center of the house is unusual for Southern Appalachia, indicating that Charles Cummings may have been called to Abingdon from a more northerly clime. Brick was made locally early in the history of Abingdon and many of the town's historic buildings are made with brick.

The Alexander Breckenridge House

This log cabin is said to have been built by Alexander Breckenridge in 1769. It was donated to the Washington County Preservation Foundation and moved to its present site behind the public library in 1985-1986.

Front view of Alexander Breckenridge House.  The placement of the lowest timbers at ground level was unwise; while this may be authentic, the original site must have provided features, such as a raised location or rocky, fast-draining soil, which the present site lacks.  The sill timbers have deteriorated significantly and if another restoration is not undertaken soon, the structure will collapse.

View showing gable.  The clapboard siding marks this cabin as having a rafter-framed roof. The window sash do not appear to be original.  For a larger view of this image, click on the thumbnail:

Closer view of gable showing clapboard siding.

Breckenridge House, view of back door.  The distressed condition of the sill timbers is painfully evident. This cabin has deteriorated more since I first saw it 20-some years ago than it had in its first two centuries.

Plumb Alley Cabin

This well-reconstructed cabin is situated in the heart of Abingdon's historic district.  It remains a private residence.  The owner is in the process of adding a dog-trot and second "crib," which can be seen behind the house.

Side view of Plumb Alley cabin, showing well-made cut-limestone chimney and clapboard-sided gable.

View of dog-trot, on the right, and addition, to the left.  This stage of the reconstruction highlights various details of the log-framing method. 

View of addition behind the main cabin.  Evident in this image are the ends of the cross-beams which will carry the second floor (above windows and door on the right). Note that the window in the gable end has not yet been framed; the logs are held in place by shims and wooden braces at this point. For a larger view of this image, click on this thumbnail:

View of gable under reconstruction.  The original roofing has been lost and must be replaced with new materials.  Note the setting of the rafters on the top run of logs.  Later, the restorer will enclose the gable with framing and siding.