This study presents a history of the French Canadian piece sur piece log houses constructed in Michigan in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Drawing upon a 17th century architectural tradition in Canada, the early French Canadian settlers switched from the poteaux en terre building style to the piece sur piece, or horizontal log construction form. This type of log house, through the building techniques it employed, was distinct from any of its contemporaries. The reason for this change dealt with the changing nature of the French settlement in Michigan, from a fur trade economy to one that included agriculture. These houses were not the crude log structures which have been popularly associated with the settlement of the nation's frontier, but rather a sophisticated design which made use of local and imported materials to create a refined structure that was intended for long term habitation. / Department of Architecture