The Log House • 1834

The Log House . 1834. Peeling away layers of history in the course of a house's life.. In the 1960s, archeological excavations led by Dr. Stanley South made way for the development of Bethabara as a historic site. They “restored” the site by demolishing the 19th century town which had grown around what was left of colonial Bethabara. The Log House, also known as the Pou House after the last family to live there, initially appeared to be just another small 19th century home, so it was set to be demolished. At that point, it had weatherboard siding, a small porch with decorative detailing, and a metal roof. , When Dr. South removed the siding, he discovered an older log house underneath, at the core of the larger Victorian home. When the rear wing of the home was removed, ruins of the “family house in the cow yard” were revealed. This was confirmed by a 1766 map of Bethabara. Research also shows that some individuals who were in charge of livestock in Bethabara had been allowed to reside in this “family house.” A tree ring (dendrochronology) study done on the logs of the still-standing central house indicated that the Log House was actually constructed from trees cut in 1834. , Patronage by the Bethabara Historical Society (founded in 1960) allowed the Log House to undergo restoration between 1973 and 1986. Work was also done on the structure by both society members and students from Wake Forest University's preservation classes under Dr. J. Edwin Hendricks. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Bethabara Historic District. , Who Lived Here? , . Johannes Richter moved to this spot in 1755 and cared for the cattle. , . George Holder, a farmer and carpenter, moved to this spot in 1764 and cared for the cattle. , . John Christian Burkhard – 1814-1819 , . Thomas Kraus – 1821-1827 , . Thomas Butner, Jr. – 1828-1831 , . Joshua Butner purchased the lot and began construction of the Log House you see today. He lived in this house from 1832-1844. , . Dr. John Q.A. Beasley lived in the Log House during the Civil War, 1860-1867. By this time, the house had undergone a Greek Revival renovation. , . John, Cora, Mary and Mamie Smith lived in the house from 1879-1888. Cora's granddaughter, Mrs. Virginia Coltraine Mock donated a quilt made by Cora to the Bethabara collection in February 1999. , . F.T. Hines – 1888-1898 , . J.W. Tuttle – 1898-1909 , . L.M. Miller – 1909-1919 , . E.O. Caudle – 1919-1920 , . T.R. Styres – July-Dec. 1920 , . The Pou Family – 1920-1964 , . Board of Provincial Elders of the Southeastern Province of the Moravian Church – 1964-present , Special thanks to Carmen Owens, Salem College, 2019 , [Captions] , . (Bottom center) Logs discovered under weatherboard siding in 1964. , . (Right) Photo of the Smith family, contributed by Jeffrey Smith Coltraine, Jr.