From what I’ve located via online sources, including the National Register of Historic Places, I believe this was the home of William Frederick Johnston (1857-1925), son of pioneer settler John Banks Johnston (1804-1880). It’s a fascinating example of the evolutionary process of a rural house. It originated as a log house and was later improved and expanded into a gabled-ell. If the house were built when William was about 20 years old, it would date to circa 1877, but I believe the size of the log boards may indicate an earlier construction, perhaps prior to the Civil War, by John Johnston. Either way, it’s a very important surviving vernacular house.
John Johnston of South Carolina was the original settler of this area, in 1821. Johnstonville was the first seat of government of Monroe County, which at the time of settlement extended from Houston County in the south to Fayette County in the north and included all the land in that context between the Flint and Ocmulgee Rivers.
The National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District notes: It is thought that the very earliest settlers of Johnstonville came to the areas of Land Lots 254 and 255. This area was near the Towaliga River and possibly an old Indian settlement. Most of the early settlers had large acreage and some of them had slave labor in the early 1800s. The village was growing into a bustling community around a crossroads area. The crossroads as on a leg of the Old Alabama Road Trail and the Pony Express delivered mail to Johnstonville, Goggins, and other communities in the district.
Johnstonville-Goggins Historic District, National Register of Historic Places
I am the owner of the cabin and we are restoring the cabin as of today!!! We are very excited and plan to keep it as original as possible….
Several questions: The chimney appears to be really late, maybe even 20th century. Is that correct? Was there even a fireplace at the gable end of the house originally? What is that big space/gap in the log wall beneath the added gable on the facade? Was that created to serve as a wide entryway to an addition that’s been removed? How do the logs on the chimney-end of the house intersect at the corners? They appear to be post and tenon rather than notched. Why? Has that room been altered in size? Is there an interior log wall? Do the lower log courses rest on that concrete slab or does the slab encase the lower logs and any remaining supporting piers? More, detailed photos would be helpful. Lots of mysteries…
Fred- The chimney isn’t original, I don’t think. The space on the facade is where the wing was added, then removed. There’s notching/dovetailing on one end but not at the end you reference, suggesting the original log structure was somewhat reduced when the more modern house was created. A wasp’s nest prevented my getting any closer to the dovetailing. The concrete slab is obviously a later addition. I’m not sure if it encases any logs, though. It is indeed a mystery.
My name is Brent Latimer and I own this cabin we have started to restore this cabin as of today. I would love to have insight during the process to try and keep as much of it original as possible!!!
This house appears worth restoration.
Fascinating! I hope this house is restored!