Last year, I bought some land at the end of Stevensville Road in Underhill. There is an old cabin on the land, that the realtor said should be torn down. With a little more research, I found out that this cabin is one of only two remaining original buildings from the lumber settlement known as Stevensville, that thrived in the first half of the 1800s. It was built in c. 1835 (and renovated in the 1920s). Originally it was called the H. Hicks Farm, and according to the Vermont Historic Sites and Structures Survey (1980), it is of State significance, being 'one of the few authentic frontier-era log cabins remaining in the State'. Although it was still considered in 'good condition' in 1980, it has obviously deteriorated since then. That said, the roof, two walls, and upper storey are still intact and I am hoping that it might be possible to restore it.

I have been in touch with Eliot Lothrop, from Building Heritage in Huntington, who is keen to take on this project. I have also spoken with Devin Colman, the Vermont State Architectural Historian who is also enthusiastic about my plan. Both Eliot and Devin, along with Jim Zimmer, another expert in early log buildings (currently working in Brattleboro) are coming to visit the cabin on Tuesday (6th November) at 10am. I would like to extend an invitation to you, and anyone else who might be interested in seeing the cabin, hearing what these experts have to say about it, and brainstorming how best to go about the restoration, to come and join us.

I feel very fortunate to own this piece of Vermont history, and I would love to share its (fingers crossed) revival with the community. My long term idea is to turn it into some kind of natural history education space. Obviously, this is going to take a lot of work, time and money. If you have any suggestions, or know of other people who might be able to help (e.g. with advice, labor, or funding), I would be very grateful to hear from you. I would also be happy to just keep you in the loop as to how this project develops.