
Cabin Fever
Logs charm a guesthouse and fishing cabin
Log Home Living July 1996
Story & Photos by Franklin & Esther Schmidt
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In the rolling hills, at the foot of the
Blue Ridge Mountains, Marshall and Peggy Hahn have created a rather bucolic existence on
their large farm. Sheep, cattle and horses graze over the green hills, grandchildren fish
in the pond. From the top of the tallest hill on the property, the Hahns can overlook the
peaceful scene from their farmhouse. But the two newly built structures in which they take
some of their greatest pride, are a log guesthouse next to the farmhouse and a log fishing
cabin located across a hill and beyond a pond. "There was an old log cabin on the
property when we bought the place," Peggy Hahn explains. "It was in really bad
shape and we wanted to restore it. However, we were told it was just too far gone to be
able to bring back. But we still wanted log, so we set about finding a new log structure
that would look oldthat would fit in with the farm." They also wanted log
houses because Marshall has an extensive collection of American folk art, some of which
would be displayed in the guesthouse. What better way to enjoy it than within the walls of
what has become identified as the uniquely American folk structure, the log home? Above: The texture of the fireplace's heavy stone contrasts
with the smooth wood of the logs. The living room has a feeling of spaciousness,
despite the home's small size. |

Combining plaid and floral fabrics
with pine furniture and folk art gives
the guesthouse the air of an
English country cottage. |

Peggy commissioned a local artist to
paint the claw-foot tub to match the guesthouse bathroom's wallpaper pattern. |

A folksy presidential portrait and a
flock of whimsical roosters are just a
few of the pieces in the Hahns'
extensive collection of folk art seen
here in the guesthouse.. |
Once they decided on building new log houses, Marshall
undertook finding just the right company to fit both his and Peggy's aesthetic and
technical criteria. As past president of Virginia Polytechnical Institute and past
president and retired CEO of Georgia Pacific, Marshall was used to making decisions and
knew exactly what he wanted, and how to find it. After investigating the pluses and
minuses of many log home companies, the Hahns chose Hearthstone, Inc. of Dandridge,
Tennessee, and decided to build two cabins. Aside from the attractiveness of the
Hearthstone log building he had seen, Marshall was impressed with the engineering of the
Hearthstone product, especially the company's heating and cooling systems and duct work.
Neither of the log houses on the Hahn property is large. It was more
important to the Hahns to build cabins that would fit the landscape of the property and
fulfill the functions they would need to serve rather than to build houses that would be
an inappropriate size. |

The sunny sleeping area in the guesthouse
is actually a loft that overlooks the
living room below. |

The guesthouse kitchen is compact, but
still equipped to handle a crowd. |
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For their guest cottage, they modified a
Hearthstone Macon model, with just over 1,300 square feet of living space. The
fishing cabin, a Hearthstone Aspen model, had 631 square feet of living space. Each
is made of a mixture of eastern white pine and western hemlock. Both of the cabins have
solid stone foundations with copper termite shields and copper rain gutters. The
floors in each are oak with walnut pegs. Despite their small size, both houses were
planned and built with precision and each is the perfect size for its function. With a
large circle of friends and relatives, Marshall and Peggy thought that visitors would
enjoy a log cabin as independent guest quarters. Peggy reports that all of their
visitors have been delighted with their stay there. |
Downstairs, there is a large living room with
a stone fireplace and a dramatic cathedral ceiling. A full, eat-in kitchen and large
bathroom complete the first floor, Upstairs, the bedroom overlooks the living room.
It is a spacious area that was designed specifically with comfort and coziness in
mind. Nooks make it inviting to curl up with a book. There is also a large
upstairs bathroom. Peggy has opted to decorate in warm colors and antique pine pieces from
around the world. Upholstered pieces, however, are new. Peggy bought them in
northern North Carolina, where high quality and reasonable prices abound in many local
furniture showrooms. |

The fishing cabin's sleeping loft. |

Looking into the fishing cabin's kitchen, a ladder leads to the sleeping loft shown on the
left photo. |
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Marshall's passion for American folk art can
be seen throughout the guesthouse. Among the most dramatic of his collected pieces
are the portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, painted by the contemporary
Georgia artist, Frank Pickle. |

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Being inside the fishing cabin is like being in a world far away.
This little building is tucked in the side of a hill, directly in front of a pond.
Even though the cabin is actually a small space, the cathedral ceiling makes it feel roomy
and open. With two upholstered chairs facing a fireplace, this is the perfect spot
to rest up after a long day spent with rod and reel, and spin tales about the one that got
away. |

Two chairs, rather than a couch, fit perfectly
in front of the fishing cabin's fireplace. |
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Two
of the Hahns' grandchildren, Erin & Shane McKelvy, share the fishing dock
with Sparky the dog.
Guesthouse & Fishing
Cabin Floorplans |
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