log cabin
A general term often applied to two different types of dwellings, both of which are constructed of logs. A
log cabin is constructed of straight, relatively smooth, round logs stripped of their bark and laid horizontally, one above the other, to form a structure. In contrast, a
log house is constructed of logs that are
hewn to form square timbers before they are assembled as a structure. The construction of these two types of dwellings differs with regard to the tools, skill, and time required for their construction. In both, the logs are notched or otherwise fastened together to prevent their spreading at the corners and to provide rigidity and strength, but in a log cabin the logs protrude beyond the joints; in the log house, the square-hewn timbers do not protrude beyond the joints. Log cabin construction requires only an ax, a minimum of skill, and a minimum of construction time. The walls are usually waterproofed by an infilling between the cracks, such as clay. Typically, both types have a
pitched roof. The earliest log cabins in America usually consisted of a single room; they usually had a
battened door, and where brick or stone was scarce, a
clay-and-sticks chimney. Compare with
log house; also see
dogtrot cabin, double-pen cabin, notch, planking, saddlebag cabin, vertical log cabin.
