The aim of this thesis is to undertake a comprehensive dendroarchaeological-contextual investigation of 35 sites (44 log structures) in Jasper, Banff, and Kootenay National Parks. Through tree-ring analysis and investigations of relevant documents (i.e., archives and interviews), three main objectives are met: 1) an architectural inventory and tree-ring analysis of sampled structures in the three parks; 2) an exploration of remote construction activity in the three parks, in terms of functional, temporal, and spatial distributions, and tree species selection; and 3) a detailed dendroarchaeological-contextual investigation of three structure case studies. The results provide new insights into remote construction activity from the late-nineteenth to early-twentieth century in the three parks. It assists Parks Canada in their attempt to interpret the cultural heritage resources of this area and contributes to the international need to document and explore vernacular architecture.

Thesis--Indiana University. / Vita. Vol. 2, includes floorplans of the buildings studied from this region. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 252-287, v. 1).

The primary purpose of this study is to give simple and detailed instructions for building a log cabin by the post-and-beam method. The data were gathered from three sources: (1) library research, (2) interviews with experienced builders of cabins, and (3) personal experience in cabin construction. A step-by-step guide for building a cabin is given in Chapters II and III, which explain in depth how to construct each section of the cabin, from laying the foundation to putting on the finishing touches. It is believed that any serious builder can follow the directions and construct his own log cabin for less than one-third the cost of a similar commercially built cabin.

Tree-ring dating was used to develop construction scenarios for two log structures, the Draper and the Fuller buildings. in the Edwards Plateau region of Texas. The Draper building was constructed in 1902-3, and added onto in 1906. The dating of the Fuller building is less certain, but the structure probably was built in the 1860s or 1870s.

Alfred Jackson was an enslaved African American born on The Hermitage plantation (outside Nashville, Tennessee) of President Andrew Jackson around 1810, and lived most of his life on the plantation. Staff from The Hermitage wished to better understand and interpret lifeways of those once enslaved on the plantation, but the date of construction of Alfred’s Cabin first had to be determined. Was it built when Alfred was enslaved or was a freedman? We extracted nearly 100 core samples from eastern red cedar logs used to construct the cabin. Of these, 39 cores were used to develop a master tree-ring chronology for the cabin. Crossdating of the Alfred’s Cabin chronology was accomplished using an eastern red cedar chronology developed by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Tree- Ring Laboratory at Columbia University in Palisades, New York. The 39 series from Alfred’s Cabin resulted in a high-quality master tree-ring chronology, with an average inter-series correlation of 0.66 and an average mean sensitivity of 0.28. Graphical (skeleton plot and line plot) comparison and statistical crossdating with COFECHA anchored the Alfred’s Cabin chronology firmly between 1749 and 1842 (r = 0.45, n = 94 yrs, t = 4.83, p < 0.0001). Cutting dates of these 39 trees ranged from 1841 to 1843. This latter date indicates that the final trees used to construct the cabin were harvested in spring or early summer of 1843, with final construction of Alfred’s Cabin occurring soon after.

The thrust of this project is twofold. The first is to create an addition to a reconstructed two-story log house. The second is to locate this structure upon the site in such a manner as to enhance the experience of its presence during approach. The first goal is addressed by connecting two appendage structures to the rear facade of the log house by means of a narrow transitional space. The intent is to maintain this transitional space as an architectural connection between the greater masses without allowing it to become a dominant element. The arrangement of the addition massing respects the prominence of the original log structure and compliments its dog-trot configuration. The shapes of the addition masses, freestanding studio/utilities building, deck area and pool also respond to the vehicular path which culminates in a circle. The second goal, the positioning of this structure within the boundaries of the selected site, was greatly facilitated by the site's numerous attributes. These range from the historical precedent of a previous log dwelling built upon the grassy knoll of choice to the natural enclosure of the site. A U-shaped, deciduously forested valley of dramatic slope along the three enclosing sides, the site provides a seasonally changing backdrop within which the entire structure can be experienced. Further enclosing this valley along the fourth side is a small, treelined river whose woody screen is permeated only in one small spot by a ford, which had been the site's previous access. / Master of Architecture

This thesis discusses mining cabin sites from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as cultural resources. Special attention is given the concept of "description" in regards to discussion of the resource category, history, and physical attributes of the sites. Evaluation and management suggestions are presented for this particular resource category. To aid in the process of identification of log cabin notching, a typology of notches is developed and presented within the context of the thesis.