House & Garden 
THE EVOLUTION OF THE LOG CABIN 
AS FOUND IN THE OLD HOMES OF THE MOHAWK VALLEY 
By W. MAX REID 
Photographs by J. A. Maney 
L ONG before the advent of white men to 
the shores of the western world, the 
aborigines were making habitations for them¬ 
selves with various degrees of comfort and 
ingenuity. The homes of the Pai Utes 
were but little more than brush heaps, or 
branches of trees 
covered with grass 
from the plains of 
northern Arizona, 
while in the southern 
part of the new 
country dwellings 
were made of adobe, 
or by utilizing the 
caves in the cliffs of 
the canons of the Rio 
Grande, the Gila and 
other mountain 
streams of Arizona 
and New Mexico. 
Along the shores of 
the Mississippi and 
its southern tribu¬ 
taries, dwellings were 
made of stone placed 
upon natural or arti¬ 
ficial mounds of 
slight elevation, 
while in the northern 
forest the Iroquois 
and Algonquins built 
themselves houses 
of wood that were 
excellent in con¬ 
struction although 
exceedingly rude in 
architecture. 
It will be observed 
that the aborigines 
or Amerinds of North America, used material 
for their dwelling that was easiest to procure 
and best adapted to the climate of that por¬ 
tion of the country in which they were 
located. The Iroquois of the Mohawk 
Valley and the Huron-Iroquois of the lake 
country, drew from the forests, in its natural 
state, the material for the construction of the 
“long house,” which was peculiar to all 
tribes of Iroquois lineage. Usually their 
singular dwellings were from 20 to 30 feet 
in height, width and 
breadth, although 
some, in the large 
villages, are said to 
have been from 80 
to 120 feet long. 
The frames were 
made of tall saplings, 
which were placed 
firmly in the ground 
at the required width, 
the tops being 
brought together and 
lashed in the form 
of an arbor. Other 
poles were bound 
transversely to the 
upright saplings and 
the whole covered 
with large pieces of 
bark. An opening 
was left at the top, 
extending the whole 
length of the struc¬ 
ture, for the exit of 
smoke from the line 
of fires on the ground 
below, each lire 
sufficing for two 
families. About four 
feet from the ground 
floor on the inside 
and extending the 
whole length of the 
building, on each side, scaffolds were built 
of poles and covered with mats and skins 
which were used as seats in the daytime and 
beds at night. Often twenty families would 
occupy one of these houses. 
DOORWAY OF ST. MARY’S CHURCH AT CHARLTON 
2 1 5 
