A Log Cabin That Spans Generations

Story by Anne McCarthy Strauss

Styling by Colleen MacComberH

Home by hearthstone Inc.

The Homeowners' Story

It’s a dream three generations in the making. In 1987, when Steve and Peggy Yoder purchased their 31-acre property in Ashland, Ohio, Steve, whose father and grandfather were carpenter/contractors, set out to build a log cabin with his sons, Dan and Chris. He started small, constructing a 3-acre pond and planting thousands of trees and flowers. A spot near the water was cultivated as the place the cabin would one day sit.

But long before the first log was laid, the enchanting site, just an hour’s drive from their primary residence, became Yoder family hallowed ground. As the destination of choice for informal get-togethers, Steve and Peggy had time to get to know the lay of the land, reviewing their property from every angle. By the time they were ready to take the plunge, Dan was studying architecture at Kent State University. He created the cabin’s preliminary drawings and Hearthstone Inc. prepared the final construction documents based on his design. 

Once they broke ground in the spring of 2002, the first phase of the project moved quickly. With help from contractors, Steve and his two sons excavated the land, poured the footers and built the foundation. Next the team got to work enclosing the basement with Brierstone sandstone.

The straightforward design called for a 500-square-foot main living area, plus a 200-square-foot loft, resting on top of the walkout basement.

“We worked on the cabin steadily that summer,” says Dan. “By September, the cabin was closed in, stained and chinked, and the porches were installed.” 

The project ran smoothly with only minor delays. “As first-time builders, we came upon a few surprises,” Dan recalls. “One of these was learning how to install ventilation and plumbing in a log cabin,” an issue they resolved by running ducts and pipes within the floor. The copper roof was put in place using tools that had belonged to Steve’s grandfather, and the copper is turned up three-quarters of an inch to expose its brilliant shine. 

In the spring of 2003, Dan began the electrical work, and a plumber was hired. Finally, that fall, the father/son team built and installed its own custom kitchen cabinets. At last, the house was complete. Today, when hikers break into the clearing, they encounter a darling retreat that includes not only the cozy cabin a father and his sons had planned themselves, but also a family legacy that will live on for generations to come.

The Log Company's Story

“Steve Yoder met one of our distributors at an open house in the early 1980s,” says Tommi Jamison, marketing manager for Hearthstone Inc., the log home outfit that produced this tiny pond-front gem. “Twenty-five years later, when he was ready to build, he found Hearthstone on the Internet and came back to us.”

It’s a strong testament to the building company that began in 1971 as restorers of 150- to 200-year-old structures. Today, most Hearthstone homes have elements of both log and timber-frame construction, which demonstrates the company’s commitment to maintain the aesthetics and creativity of our forefathers.

For their slice of the modern-ancestral pie, the Yoders chose Hearth-stone’s eastern white pine logs with a weathered finish. The weathering process raises the wood grain and softens the hewing slightly, resulting in a more aged-looking structure. “This process can make a brand new home look like it’s been nestled on its plot for more than a hundred years,” Tommi explains. 

The log profile is from the Bob TimberlakeTM series, which includes  extensive timber-framing elements, used in the Yoders’ porch design, and massive logs ranging in size from 14 to 24 inches in height that make up the home’s walls. The natural contouring and flat face on two sides give the package the look of logs hewn 200 years ago, and because of the variation in log size, each Bob Timberlake™ home is unique—all features that homeowners Peggy and Steve were drawn to.

“This was a special project for us,” says Tommi. “The cabin was truly a family effort for a father and two sons, helping one son on his way into a career in architecture,” referring to the fact that Dan Yoder drew the preliminary plans that Hearthstone worked from. “You don’t see many family projects like this anymore,” she continues, but take one look at the Yoders’ success, and that’s a trend that’s likely to change.

Home Details

Square footage: 1,200

Log provider: Hearthstone Inc.