EVHS Vaughan Cabin Relocation Project

EVHS Logo
Vaughan Cabin Relocation Project

The Vaughan Cabin Relocation Project began in April 1993, when Marietta resident, Sherlin Vaughan, formerly of Cartersville, aproached EVHS Board Chairman Guy Parmenter for ideas about preserving his childhood home, originally a circa 1870s log cabin!

Mr. Vaughan's parents had acquired the home in the early 1940s. Vaughan planned to eventually sell the land, and was afraid the house would be torn down. He contacted EVHS in hopes that the cabin could be preserved in Bartow County for historical purposes. President J.B. Tate and Board Chairman Guy Parmenter discussed the possibilities, then J.B. mentioned the cabin to Ralph Delgiorno, Services Manager of Red Top Mountain State Park. "The idea of placing a cabin at the lodge in order to help share the history of the area surfaced two years ago and could now become a reality," said Billy Hanson, Site Manager and EVHS member. Guy Parmenter, Sherlin Vaughan, Billy Hanson L-R: Guy Parmenter, EVHS Board Chairman; Sherlin Vaughan, Cabin Donor; Billy Hanson, Site Manager of Red Top Mountain State Park and EVHS member.

Both the Etowah Valley Historical Society and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources put a lot of hours into planning before any work on the cabin could begin. EVHS was responsible for negotiation with Vaughan and handling all legal, appraisal, and insurance matters. In addition to these responsiblilities, EVHS pledged up to $2000 towards a new cabin roof. Efforts by EVHS members Warren Akin and Keith Taylor were invaluable, as was the support of Bartow County Commissioner Clarence Brown. Red Top officials, under the direction of Billy Hanson, were responsible for coordinating workers and equipment needed to dismantle and move the cabin. David Grabensteder, Allatoona Reservoir Manager with the Army Corp of Engineers, and his staff assisted Red Top officials in the selection of a site for the cabin.
The cabin at first appeared to be an old abandoned farm house which was full of hay. Several non-log room additions had been added through the years, which had changed the original look of the cabin tremendously. After peeling back the exterior lap board and shingle siding to peek at the type of construction underneath, the giant pine logs came into view. The old house was indeed a two-room log cabin with a dog trot.

Modern siding and later additions hid the original 1870s cabin structure which made up the front portion of the Vaughan house. The Cabin Revealed!
Once the additions and exterior siding were removed, the log cabin appeared, much as it might have looked originally over a hundred years ago.

In early November 1993, Red Top employees began removing the exterior and interior wall coverings. Within two days the cabin appeared in its entirety, with all coverings removed and the additions torn away. The days that followed involved salvaging brick from the old chimneys, removing the flooring and roofing, and continued cleanup of the site. The logs also had to be numbered before being dismantled so that their exact location in the cabin would be known when erection occurred in the spring of 1994.
On December 17, the log cabin was at last dismantled and moved log by log to a storage facility at Red Top Mountain. Georgia Power employees and equipment from the company's Rome District and Plant Bowen were most helpful in assisting to move the logs. Atlanta Gas assisted with employees for this final day of the first stage of the project.

Dismantling the cabin

Clockwise From the Top: 1)Red Top Mountain employees strip away the siding to reveal the original log cabin's giant pine logs. 2)Buldozers were used to make quick work of knocking away the additions. 3)The roofing and flooring were then removed, and bricks salvaged from the chimney. 4)Finally, each log was numbered and the process of moving the cabin to Red Top began.

The second phase of the project involved reconstruction of the cabin on the Red Top Mountain site, which began in May 1994. Complete reconstruction was a long way off, however, as volunteers from Georgia Power, AT&T, Atlanta Gas, and EVHS continued to donate their weekends and spare time to the project. Fortunately, less than five percent of the original logs were found to be rotten and in need of replacement. EVHS member Frederick Knight of Knight Forest Products generously donated the cutting of the replacement logs.

Reconstructing the cabin

L-R:Keeping it historical, pilings made of concrete blocks covered with rock were constructed for use as the cabin's foundation. Construction of the roof and a front porch were the next phase in the restoration of the cabin.

Four and a half years after Sherlin Vaughan first approached EVHS about preserving his family home, the project was finally completed. The "Vaughan House Dedication Ceremony" was held on October 18, 1997. Mr. Vaughan and other family members were among the honored guests, and Mr. Vaughan performed the ribbon cutting that officially opened the cabin to the public. EVHS donated much time, energy, and effort to the project, not to mention over $5000 to preserve forever this piece of Bartow County's history. Today, a handsome sign tells the story of Red Top Mountain's new cabin home.

Completed Vaughan Cabin at Red Top Mountain

Mission Accomplished ... Behold the Completed Vaughan Cabin! Dedication of the Vaughan Cabin at Red Top Mountain took place October 18, 1997. Guy Parmenter, representing EVHS; James Layton from Georgia Power's Plant Bowen, Burt Weerts, Director of the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites; and of course Shirlin Vaughan and his family were there to welcome the first visitors to the parks newest attraction.

The overall objective of an 1800s homestead for Red Top Mountain State Park was brought into focus through meetings between EVHS, Red Top officials, and other Department of Natural Resource site managers and historians throughout the state. Today the cabin is a wonderful addition to the park and allows over a million visitors each year the opportunity to experience the Red Top Mountain area as it was over a hundred years ago. Homestead Christmases, Civil War encampments, and bluegrass, storytelling, and pioneer day festivals are just a few of the many activities planned annually around the Vaughan Cabin.

Back to EVHS Projects

The Vaughan Cabin Relocation Project began in April 1993, when Marietta resident, Sherlin Vaughan, formerly of Cartersville, aproached EVHS Board Chairman Guy Parmenter for ideas about preserving his childhood home, originally a circa 1870s log cabin!
Mr. Vaughan's parents had acquired the home in the early 1940s. Vaughan planned to eventually sell the land, and was afraid the house would be torn down. He contacted EVHS in hopes that the cabin could be preserved in Bartow County for historical purposes. President J.B. Tate and Board Chairman Guy Parmenter discussed the possibilities, then J.B. mentioned the cabin to Ralph Delgiorno, Services Manager of Red Top Mountain State Park. "The idea of placing a cabin at the lodge in order to help share the history of the area surfaced two years ago and could now become a reality," said Billy Hanson, Site Manager and EVHS member.	L-R: Guy Parmenter, EVHS Board Chairman; Sherlin Vaughan, Cabin Donor; Billy Hanson, Site Manager of Red Top Mountain State Park and EVHS member.
Both the Etowah Valley Historical Society and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources put a lot of hours into planning before any work on the cabin could begin. EVHS was responsible for negotiation with Vaughan and handling all legal, appraisal, and insurance matters. In addition to these responsiblilities, EVHS pledged up to $2000 towards a new cabin roof. Efforts by EVHS members Warren Akin and Keith Taylor were invaluable, as was the support of Bartow County Commissioner Clarence Brown. Red Top officials, under the direction of Billy Hanson, were responsible for coordinating workers and equipment needed to dismantle and move the cabin. David Grabensteder, Allatoona Reservoir Manager with the Army Corp of Engineers, and his staff assisted Red Top officials in the selection of a site for the cabin. The cabin at first appeared to be an old abandoned farm house which was full of hay. Several non-log room additions had been added through the years, which had changed the original look of the cabin tremendously. After peeling back the exterior lap board and shingle siding to peek at the type of construction underneath, the giant pine logs came into view. The old house was indeed a two-room log cabin with a dog trot.
Modern siding and later additions hid the original 1870s cabin structure which made up the front portion of the Vaughan house.	Once the additions and exterior siding were removed, the log cabin appeared, much as it might have looked originally over a hundred years ago.
In early November 1993, Red Top employees began removing the exterior and interior wall coverings. Within two days the cabin appeared in its entirety, with all coverings removed and the additions torn away. The days that followed involved salvaging brick from the old chimneys, removing the flooring and roofing, and continued cleanup of the site. The logs also had to be numbered before being dismantled so that their exact location in the cabin would be known when erection occurred in the spring of 1994. On December 17, the log cabin was at last dismantled and moved log by log to a storage facility at Red Top Mountain. Georgia Power employees and equipment from the company's Rome District and Plant Bowen were most helpful in assisting to move the logs. Atlanta Gas assisted with employees for this final day of the first stage of the project.


Clockwise From the Top: 1)Red Top Mountain employees strip away the siding to reveal the original log cabin's giant pine logs. 2)Buldozers were used to make quick work of knocking away the additions. 3)The roofing and flooring were then removed, and bricks salvaged from the chimney. 4)Finally, each log was numbered and the process of moving the cabin to Red Top began.
The second phase of the project involved reconstruction of the cabin on the Red Top Mountain site, which began in May 1994. Complete reconstruction was a long way off, however, as volunteers from Georgia Power, AT&T, Atlanta Gas, and EVHS continued to donate their weekends and spare time to the project. Fortunately, less than five percent of the original logs were found to be rotten and in need of replacement. EVHS member Frederick Knight of Knight Forest Products generously donated the cutting of the replacement logs.

L-R:Keeping it historical, pilings made of concrete blocks covered with rock were constructed for use as the cabin's foundation. Construction of the roof and a front porch were the next phase in the restoration of the cabin.
Four and a half years after Sherlin Vaughan first approached EVHS about preserving his family home, the project was finally completed. The "Vaughan House Dedication Ceremony" was held on October 18, 1997. Mr. Vaughan and other family members were among the honored guests, and Mr. Vaughan performed the ribbon cutting that officially opened the cabin to the public. EVHS donated much time, energy, and effort to the project, not to mention over $5000 to preserve forever this piece of Bartow County's history. Today, a handsome sign tells the story of Red Top Mountain's new cabin home.

Mission Accomplished ... Behold the Completed Vaughan Cabin! Dedication of the Vaughan Cabin at Red Top Mountain took place October 18, 1997. Guy Parmenter, representing EVHS; James Layton from Georgia Power's Plant Bowen, Burt Weerts, Director of the Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites; and of course Shirlin Vaughan and his family were there to welcome the first visitors to the parks newest attraction.
The overall objective of an 1800s homestead for Red Top Mountain State Park was brought into focus through meetings between EVHS, Red Top officials, and other Department of Natural Resource site managers and historians throughout the state. Today the cabin is a wonderful addition to the park and allows over a million visitors each year the opportunity to experience the Red Top Mountain area as it was over a hundred years ago. Homestead Christmases, Civil War encampments, and bluegrass, storytelling, and pioneer day festivals are just a few of the many activities planned annually around the Vaughan Cabin.

Back to EVHS Projects

©2000 Etowah Valley Historical Society All rights reserved.