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Finnish Cottage Tradition
By S. Nicole Thomas, Fri Dec 9th
Finnish Cottage Tradition The origin of the log structure is uncertain. It is probablethat it began in northern Europe sometime in the Bronze Age (c.3,500 B.C.). By the time Europeans began to settle in America,there was a long tradition of using logs for houses, barns, andother outbuildings in the Scandinavian countries, Germany, andNorthern Russia. These regions had vast stands of softwoodtimber that could easily be worked with simple hand tools.According to C. A. Weslager, whose book on log cabins isconsidered a classic, the Finns, as well as the Swedes, had a"close attunement" with the forests, and both groups hadwell-developed forest industries. Weslager goes on to say: The Finns were accomplished in building several forms of loghousing, having different methods of corner timbering, and theyutilized both round and hewn logs. Their log building hadundergone an evolutionary process from the crude "pirtii"...asmall gabled-roof cabin of round logs with an opening in theroof to vent smoke, to more sophisticated squared logs withinterlocking double-notch joints, the timber extending beyondthe corners. Log saunas or bathhouses of this type are stillfound in rural Finland.
When the Finns and the Swedes began to arrive in New Sweden(along both banks of the Delaware River into modern Delaware,New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland), they brought theirknowledge of such wood construction with them. So did laterimmigrants from Germany. The Scots, Irish, and Scots-Irish hadno tradition of building with logs, but they quickly adopted thetechnique. The log cabin suited early settlers and laterpioneers. It would have been nearly impossible to carry buildingmaterials across the ocean in the small sailing ships of thetime. It would have been equally difficult to transport buildingmaterials on horseback or even in the wagons or river bargespioneers used to cross mountains and valleys in their search fortheir own land. So, wherever there were forested areas, the logcabin became the preferred type of initial dwelling. Log cabinsdid not even need nails or spikes to hold them together. Untilthe 19th century nails were made by hand by blacksmiths, whichmeant they were quite expensive, and like lumber, they were alsoheavy. Log cabins were relatively easy to build. Weslager reports thata record was set by three men who cut down trees, trimmed them,dragged the logs to the building site, notched the logs, andbuilt a one-room cabin with chimney and fireplace in two days.For most people it took a bit longer, but it was possible for aman working alone to build a cabin in one to two weeks. However,a man alone faced some problems. Because it is physicallydifficult to lift a heavy log above one's head, most men couldbuild cabins only six to eight logs high. With help, it waspossible to build several logs higher--even two-story log houseswere possible. First, skids of two logs were placed against thewall at an angle to serve as an inclined plane. Then forkedsticks or ropes were used to position the logs. Most log cabins had a single room, or "pen," some 12 to 16 feetsquare. There was one door, and usually no windows. If windowswere cut into the walls, animal skins or boards fixed to slideacross the openings were used. Some builders used paper greasedwith animal fat, which made it both
translucent and waterproof.Most log cabin builders placed the fireplace at one end of thecabin and built the chimney of wattle. Stone or clay was usedfor the hearth and the interior of the fireplace. As these werenot very safe constructions, later builders used brick or stoneif they could be obtained. Fireplaces provided warmth, light,and fuel for cooking. Back bars and cranes made of forged ironwere used to hold cooking pots. Not until the 1840s werecast-iron ranges available that would burn wood or coal, socooking over a fireplace did not seem a hardship. Inside walls were often chinked with clay or cloth. Most floorswere simply beaten earth, although some cabins had floors ofpuncheons--logs split lengthwise and laid close together withthe flat sides up. A family often built a sleeping loft if theroof were high enough. The loft could be reached by pegs poundedinto the walls or by a ladder built from tree limbs. The loftalso was used to store foodstuffs. Log cabins were never meant to be permanent, but many log houseswere. The difference between the two was primarily one of sizeand attention to detail. Most pioneers preferred "flat" walls torounded log walls, and so most used hewn logs for building.These not only made the houses look (from a distance) more"real," but also withstood the elements much better, since thebark and the decay-prone outside wood were removed from thelogs. When milled lumber became available either from a localsawmill or by railroad transport, most people chose it for theirhomes. It seemed that as the frontier disappeared, so would the logcabin. However, at about the same time the Finnish homesteaderswere, of necessity, building their first homes of logs,Easterners were rediscovering the log structure. William A.Durant, land developer and president of the Adirondack Railroad,pushed the idea of Great Camps in the Adirondacks. These campswere enclaves where the very wealthy could escape the summerheat of the cities and retreat to the "simple life" of log-cabinliving in the country. Such "cabins" were hardly simple.Designed by architects, they were huge structures with manyrooms and fireplaces and porches. But their log exteriorsrecalled the "good old days". National park structures alsofueled the revival of log cabin living. Many park lodges weremade of logs so they would fit their surroundings. The OldFaithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park is a prime example.Built in 1904, the inn has an eight-story lobby some 185 feethigh. There are 140 guest rooms and three sets of balconies. Another factor that kept the tradition of log building alive wasthe Great Depression of the 1930s. The Civilian ConservationCorps (CCC) worked with the National Park Service and the U.S.Forest Service to build thousands of log structures throughoutthe national forests and parks. Had it not been for these thelog cabin might have disappeared, but because people saw the logstructures and liked what they saw, many began to build modernlog cabins and log houses. These homes seemed to represent allthat a family could want: a sturdy shelter from the elements anda simple, self-sufficient lifestyle. The log cabin remains apopular building style. About the author:S. Nicole Thomas is a worldwide traveler among other things.Lived in Finland for over three years and has started to writeabout finnish saunas and the great land of finland. Visithttp://www.homesaunatips.com for more information!
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