Louisville Magazine is Louisville's city magazine, covering Louisville people, lifestyles, politics, sports, restaurants, entertainment and homes. Includes a monthly calendar of events.
Issue link: https://loumag.epubxp.com/i/89420
W hen the pioneers braved the Cumberland Gap to settle "the land of milk and honey," they took advantage of Kentucky's virgin timber to build their homes and stockades. Tat's why, Chris Williams says, he decided to build a log cabin after purchasing 12 acres on a southeastern Jefferson County hillside in 1984. "I looked at underground homes, but log cabins represent the American dream," he says. Te former Robley Rex VA Medical Cen- ter employee — he retired after 39 years last December — explored log-home kits, but changed his mind after discussing the proj- ect with a friend's father. "He asked, 'Did you ever think of building it yourself? I built one when I was younger,'" Williams recalls. "Ten he showed me a home movie. My im- mediate thought was, 'I could save myself a fortune.'" Williams is not afraid to tackle most any- thing. He repairs his own cars and keeps a 1939 Ford tractor and 1945 Chevy pickup running. Te secret to his do-it-yourself suc- cess: research. He did a lot of reading before ever picking up a log-handling tool. Among his sources for design and con- struction tips was Peter Gott, whose log- smithing expertise was featured in Mother Earth News. In 1961 Gott and his wife moved to 40 acres in the Smokies, where they created a pioneer-style homestead. To- day, Gott gives workshops on traditional hewn-log construction. "Gott described the process of building a rectangular house," Williams says, "but mentioned if he had it to do over again, he would have built a dog- trot design. Several other articles suggested a dogtrot, too." The poplar timbers Chris Williams used for the walls of his dogtrot- design log cabin were harvested and milled in Clark County, Ind. Top left: a back-porch dining table Williams made from a felled nearby tree. 11.12 LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE [137]