Modern History
The idea of placing a log cabin, which had come to symbolize the university's origins, on Pitt's campus in order to commemorate the university's approaching bicentennial in 1987, came from then Chancellor Wesley Posvar and University Trustee Charles Fagan III. This particular cabin originated from Yatesboro/Rural Valley area of Pennsylvania located about 50 miles from Pittsburgh. Estimated to date from the 1820s to 1830s, the log house had been sided with clapboards and used as a residence. It was purchased at an auction for $1,000 by Fagan, who donated it to the university in honor of his wife Ann Ebbert Fagan, who graduated from the university's School of Arts and Sciences in 1962. The cabin was disassembled and transported to Pittsburgh where its reconstruction was begun on September 10, 1986. Brad Moody of Heritage Restorations of Ligonier, Pennsylvania was the contractor for the disassembly and reassembly. The building's portch and chimney are new conjectural additions based on Heritage Restorations' expertise with similar buildings. Additionally, some original logs were replaced with the company's stockpiles, and a new wood shingle roof was installed, along with newly fabricated doors and windows. For a time after its completion, through at least part of the 1990s, the log cabin served as a visitors' information center. It is currently used by the Cathedral of Learning grounds maintenance staff to store salt for winter deicing.
Read more about this topic: Log Cabin (University Of Pittsburgh)
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