Source: "Presence of the Past" article by the Rideau Township Historical Society volunteers. Published June, 1994

For our early pioneers, sheer survival was top priority, and the log cabins we find in the Ottawa Valley are hallowed symbols of those pioneer times even as they slowly diminish in numbers.

The log cabin was well-suited to the settlers’ needs. It could be put together quickly and easily. It required simplest of tools: axe and adze. It could be constructed almost entirely from what was most available – trees. And it was relatively warm and dry.

At first, round logs were used. Later settlers preferred square timbers, held in place by expertly dovetailed corners.

Rectangular in shape, the first cabins were usually built eight logs high, with a low-pitched roof. Careful scrutiny of existing two-story log houses will often show that the upper logs are less weathered than those below. This shows that, as the family grew and prospered, the owner literally raised the roof to provide more space.

A traditional log cabin has one door, in the centre or just off-centre of the long front wall, and flanked by a small window on each side. Doors and windows were easily cut with a saw, and the openings could later be plugged with short logs if the missus decided she wanted them elsewhere.

Because it was difficult to transport glass, the older windows consist of twelve or twenty-four small panes held in place by very fine wooden mullions. These original mullions are now much prized, being more delicate than the later milled ones. Original glass, very thin and often bubbled, is also cherished today.