Log cabin a long labour of love

When Murray Gemmell set out on his quest to restore an original pioneer cabin to its original condition, he had no idea it would become an all-consuming project.
That was four years ago. Today, the end is in sight, and none too soon either.
“If I had known it was to take four years, I would never have started it,” he joked.
The old cabin sits on a small plot on Sharp’s Road, about two miles north of Stratton. It was built around 1900, and was originally covered in cedar shakes. Today, in mid-restoration, it has been stripped down to bare logs, which will eventually be sealed with cement and perhaps, more shakes.
In 1990, Gemmell purchased the property, and four years ago—with the indispensable help of his wife, Margie, and sons Kevin, Jock and David—he began putting it back into as close to its original condition as possible.
The family carefully removed all the existing furnishings so they could work on the cabin inside and out. Gemmell said not all the furnishings were there at the time the cabin was built, but were added later by its various owners over the last 100 years.
One item that will be the centrepiece of the completed project is an old wood-burning stove Gemmell inherited from his grandmother. Although not the one that was originally in the cabin, it is of the same era and design and should complement the central living area when it is complete.
Margie will be making her own unique contribution to the project. A skilled glass worker, she said she intends to add some of her work to the existing structure, with a goal to blending the old and new in a seamless combination.
“I’m going to try and incorporate stained glass with the original windows,” she explained.
Most of the original windows are still intact and bear the unmistakable flow patterns of old glass, which tends to gradually run down the pane over the years and create a ripple effect because it is not as hard as modern glass.
Gemmell said he hopes the cabin will be close to completion in time for Stratton’s centennial celebrations Aug. 1-3. Some of the final details may have to wait, however.
“I intend to replace the (cedar) shakes, if I live long enough,” Gemmell vowed.