log cabin revealed during "blighted property" demo in PA

[Lily left the valley]

Sometimes you find the darndest things that hold up a planned demolition.

The good news is the town is going to try to save it. Estimated to be from the 1700s, but not confirmed yet.
log cabin revealed during demo

[Gothichome]

Lily, isn’t that an interesting story and find. Amazing the history that gets lost over time. I would suspect this home may have been a meeting place/rest stop in the 1700’s. I say that his due to it’s size and the second story. A humble settlers cabin would not have been so large. A similar find was made maybe six years ago in our area with the same circumstances.
https://www.chatham-kent.ca/HeritageRes ... erties.pdf
Go to page 48.

[Mick_VT]

Local officials want to preserve the cabin and move it to a different location.

They say it will have to be carefully taken down by hand and put back together somewhere else.

Why does this almost always have to be a thing? To me the location and foundation of a building are as much a part of the historic fabric as the walls and trim... Move it and you save at most 50% of what was found

Preserve it in place for goodness sake!

[1918ColonialRevival]

Why does this almost always have to be a thing? To me the location and foundation of a building are as much a part of the historic fabric as the walls and trim... Move it and you save at most 50% of what was found

Preserve it in place for goodness sake!

But then, that would thwart the plans of the local politicians and the developers lining their pockets along the way. We can't have any of that now!

[Gothichome]

Developers aside, the issue with having it stay in its original location is the context of the building. It looks like the town has grown around it and it may have lost its context in the landscape. I think the only way to save the building at this location would be a strong historical context of maybe the crossing of two or more major travelling routs, a mill pond or some other significant context.
May be George Washington spend the night there and it will get a plaque.

[Manalto]

...I think the only way to save the building at this location would be a strong historical context...

I agree that this is perhaps not the only justification, but an important one. The town I grew up in had a house (the Huguenot house) which was in the way of a street widening project. To my surprise, the town preserved the house by moving it across the street and down about a block into the front area of a park.



The setting is attractive and makes it possible to enjoy the architecture and historic value of the house from all sides and away from the roar of traffic.

On the other hand, Dyckman house, another 18th century house with a gambrel roof, benefits by its original historical context to dramatically evoke a time and way of life now mostly forgotten.



The only remaining farmhouse in Manhattan, it is a vivid contrast to the city that grew up around it.

[phil]

those historic houses left in place in city centers are interesting and good focal points for the city dwellers to admire. near me they move lots of them around or lift them in some cases they do seem to appreciate the house and make attempts to restore it even if they change the windows and such. what I also see happening is houses that get moved and stripped to the studs. I guess is a loophole for example that house may have a nice location near to a roadway and if torn down would then need a setback , the setback reduces the usability of the rest of the lot. perhaps only the frame is saved if they can't get a demo permit but want a new house. It doesn't' take that long to frame a house. rebuilding the skeleton isn't restoration. lots are lifted and when they do that it seems nice because most of the house just becomes more visible and the lower storey is somewhat buried usually. The one featured is quite old, not really nice but interesting and I can see why locals would want to save it.

[Mick_VT]

To me dismantling and moving it is like restoring a classic car by melting it into scrap metal to use in building a replica