Original Settler's Cabin

Original Settler's Cabin. — Built in 1782 —. This log cabin, typical of the log cabins built by the first white settlers, is one of the very few original log cabins in Allegheny County. It was in cabins such as this that our forefathers established their hold on the soil and raised the first family of pioneer children. , , This cabin has been rebuilt to the exact original size, using eight of the original logs and the original rafters. It has the appearance of the original cabin which stood on the same location, but twelve feet lower. When the property was acquired by Jefferson Memorial Park in 1929 the cabin was then in a deep gully, near a beautiful, never-failing spring located a few feet away, coming from beneath the roots of a giant white oak tree which sheltered from spying Indian eyes not only the spring, which has now become a well, but also the cabin. , , Jacob Beam originally staked out his claim to the tract of 160 acres of land and built this cabin in 1782. The tract was surveyed pursuant to a warrant to Jacob Beam dated February 10th, 1785, and on January 6th, 1798, was deeded to to him by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania under the authority of Thomas Mifflin, Pennsylvania's first governor. (deed may be viewed in administration building) , , Jacob Beam had another tract of land a few miles east of this one and about 1800 he sold this tract to Aaron Work, whose descendants held the property until it was acquired in 1929 by Harry C. Neel, a great-great-grandson of Aaron, and founder of Jefferson Memorial Park.