Little Elm Journal > News
History on the move: Little Elm's 160-year-old log cabin stored for safety, repairs
By Andrew Snyder, asnyder@starlocalnews.com
The 160-year-old log cabin located at Beard Park was dismantled two weeks ago and filed away for preservation and restoration in advance of planned improvements to the park that will begin in December. The cabin will be reincorporated into the park as part of a historic village that will also include an old post office.
“The log cabin will be carefully dismantled and each piece will be meticulously numbered and stored for safekeeping,” said Tony Chrisman, Director of Parks and Recreation for Little Elm, in a release from the town. “It’s an important part of our town’s history and an iconic structure that ties us back to our roots. Current plans call for its restoration and reassembly in a different section of the renovated park.”
The log cabin – which was built in the 1860s and moved to Beard Park in the 1970s – will be under the care of Marquis Construction and Restoration in Ponder. The company will repair logs wherever possible and replace others with lumber of a similar age using additional historical materials such as rose headed nails and wooden pegs.
Once renovations to the park and cabin are completed, it will be placed in a historic village that will be located near the entrance of the park. A village green will also be nearby, as well as a children's playscape and a large covered pavilion.
In addition to being in need of repair work, the cabin was in the path of the expansion of a pair of nearby roadways, Eldorado Parkway and Main Street. The restoration of the cabin will take place as renovations to Beard Park are underway. Those renovations will come in two phases, the first of which will introduce expanded parking, a park-wide irrigation system, native plan landscaping and ornamental fencing with a timeline for completion in the summer of 2013. The second phase will include hiking and biking trails through the park's wooded area, a farmer’s market trading area, covered pavilions, open play areas, horseshoe pits, a children’s playground and the historic village featuring the post office and log cabin. The second phase is expected to be completed by spring 2014.
”Beard Park’s reconstruction gave us the opportunity to create an appropriate location for the post office and log cabin, providing future generations with a chance to take a rare look back into our Town’s history,” Chrisman said. “In this age of computers, smart phones and all manner of electronic gadgets, being able to actually see and touch something from the 1800s is a real treat.”
“The log cabin will be carefully dismantled and each piece will be meticulously numbered and stored for safekeeping,” said Tony Chrisman, Director of Parks and Recreation for Little Elm, in a release from the town. “It’s an important part of our town’s history and an iconic structure that ties us back to our roots. Current plans call for its restoration and reassembly in a different section of the renovated park.”
The log cabin – which was built in the 1860s and moved to Beard Park in the 1970s – will be under the care of Marquis Construction and Restoration in Ponder. The company will repair logs wherever possible and replace others with lumber of a similar age using additional historical materials such as rose headed nails and wooden pegs.
Once renovations to the park and cabin are completed, it will be placed in a historic village that will be located near the entrance of the park. A village green will also be nearby, as well as a children's playscape and a large covered pavilion.
In addition to being in need of repair work, the cabin was in the path of the expansion of a pair of nearby roadways, Eldorado Parkway and Main Street. The restoration of the cabin will take place as renovations to Beard Park are underway. Those renovations will come in two phases, the first of which will introduce expanded parking, a park-wide irrigation system, native plan landscaping and ornamental fencing with a timeline for completion in the summer of 2013. The second phase will include hiking and biking trails through the park's wooded area, a farmer’s market trading area, covered pavilions, open play areas, horseshoe pits, a children’s playground and the historic village featuring the post office and log cabin. The second phase is expected to be completed by spring 2014.
”Beard Park’s reconstruction gave us the opportunity to create an appropriate location for the post office and log cabin, providing future generations with a chance to take a rare look back into our Town’s history,” Chrisman said. “In this age of computers, smart phones and all manner of electronic gadgets, being able to actually see and touch something from the 1800s is a real treat.”
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