McMullen - Coachman Log Cabin

McMullen - Coachman Log Cabin. Built Circa: 1852 Moved: 1977. , The Coachman Story , Here Come the Coachmans , In 1902 Soloman and Jessie Coachman purchased the McMullen homestead, including the cabin and about 240 ocres, for $8,100. They 'modernized' the house by adding glass to the open windows and sealing the gaps between the logs. Solomon's endeavors included a sawmill operation, a large general store, growing citrus and a leader in the movement to separate Pinellas from Hillsborough County. The cabin was both home and office. Solomon sponsored many political rallies while Jessie served cookies and lemonade, softening the atmosphere. Their efforts paid off and in 1912 Solomon became the first chair of the newly created Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners., Savvy Plans , When workers built a new railroad between Tampa and St. Petersburg in the 1910s, Coachman wisely let the rail line cut through his property. In the next few years, the family expanded their groves and built a citrus packinghouse, a new two story home and other outbuildings conveniently near the tracks. , Sweet Sensations , Trains stopped at Coachman Station. Tourists on their way to Clearwater and St. Petersburg purchased marmalades, preserves, pecan pralines, boxed fruit and other delights at Jessie's Kumquat Sweet Shop. She built the shop to resemble the log cabin. Tourists could also tour the cabin with Jessie who devoted herself to preserve the log home. The cabin was regarded by many as a "monumental shrine" to the early settlers of Pinellas., Tidbits from Time , A Shrine Survives , Though this home still looks primitive, remodeling over the years gave it a much more modern appearance than the way it looked in the 1850s. Eight arson attempts in November 1976 destroyed the original second floor. It is the oldest standing structure in Pinellas County.