S.C.Rogers Photos, Churches, Buildings, and Barns 1

All of these photos were taken in Cades Cove in the Smoky Mountain National Park during the summer of 2003. As the viewer will see, not all of the photos here are old barns, houses, or churches which is suppose to be the theme, but there's no other logical place to put them... it's all part of the "Cades Cove" experience. There are 18 designated landmarks and they corrospond to this Loop Road Map. Map courtesy of YourSmokies.com And, here is a wonderful Cades Cove loop road cross stitch map. Sampler by Jane Langley Simmes Jobe. Photo of sampler by Randy Jobe. Original photo on this website. The landmarks are:

Anyone wanting these photos for personal use is welcome to take them. They are already "sized" for general web/PC use and will work just fine. However, should you want them for reprints, or "full screen" screensavers, or whatever, I have the high resolution originals. Just note the page and photo number in the upper part of the picture as it's displayed, and contact me using this site's form-mail, or a standard e-mail client and I'll send them to you. Just realize that you'll need a fat e-mail inbox to receive them.

Additionally, anyone wanting these for commercial use or sale, or anyone wanting to post them on other websites, please ask... I don't mind, but I would appreciate the credits. More information is available using the resource Links at the bottom of the page.

Click any of the pictures to get a better view

John Oliver Cabin

Primitive Baptist Church

Methodist Church

Missionary Baptist Church

Rich Mountain Road

The Park Service marker for Rich Mountain Road.

Cable Mill Area and Visitor's Center

Henry Whitehead Place

The Henry Whitehead Cabin is located just off the Cades Cove loop road on Forge Creek Road near Chestnut Flats. It was constructed 1895-1896 by Henry Whitehead (1851–1914) for his second wife, Matilda "Aunt Tildy" Shields (1842-1924).

According to folklore, Matilda and her young son were deserted by Ebenezer Alexander "Nazer" Gregory (1844-1901). Apparently, he went down to the creek for a bucket of water and never returned. With family nearby, her brothers were quick to put up a dwelling to get her by, but considering the sort of emergency it was, the cabin was the absolute roughest of construction [1]. Meanwhile, Henry Whitehead had recently been widowed. A courtship ensued and fate ran its course.

As for the dwelling, it exemplifies the worst and the best in construction techniques in the cove at the time. The orginal cabin was put up in extreme haste by her brothers, an effort to ensure she at least had shelter after Nazer Gregory abandoned the family. It was built almost entirely of rough-hewn, axe felled logs.&ngsp; The logs weren't squared on the ends and they required considerable chinking along the lenght. The chimney was also made of stone, most likely gotten from one of the creeks... they would have been smoothed by time and the elements. It would have made mortering easier [2], [3]. After Matilda Shields and Henry Whitehead married, he built the new cabin and adjoined it to the old one. In contrast to the old cabin, the new cabin was one of the finest log cabins that could be built with the technology available in that time period; certainly one of the finest in Cades Cove. To begin, all of the logs were all locally sawn squre leaving very little to chink and making the corners square. Most of the interior plank and log faces were smoothed with hand planes. While virtually nothing beats the finish that can be achieved when a craftsman weilds a smoother, it's still very time consuming and expensive. The windward side of the cabin was weatherboarded to further insulate and protect the home from wind and rain. The cabin even had a brick chimney. The only way to obtain bricks in Cades Cove at that time was to mold and fire them yourself. So, that's what they did right there on the property. [2], [4].

The Whitehead place probably represents both, the crudest and, the finest log construction in Appalachia. It's considered a "trasition" home in that it displays rough log and sawmill frame construction. To my knowledge, the Whitehead place is the only square sawn home left in Great Smoky Mountains, and certainly the only one left in Cades Cove.

Sadly, I've never gotten pictures of the Whitehead place... Next time I'm in Cades Cove, I'll be sure to get some.

The Dan Lawson Place

There is some conflict as to when the Dan Lawson cabin (still often called the Peter Cable cabin) was built. Some sources indicate that the original hewn log cabin was built well prior to the Civil war by Peter Cable (1792-1866) in the 1840s and acquired by Dan Lawson (1827-1905) after Lawson married Cable's only daughter, Mary Jane [1]. Others indicate that Lawson built the cabin just prior to the Civil war around 1856 after he and Mary Jane Cable (1827-1901) were married in 1850 [2]. With additions made to the cabin over time, there may be some truth in both in that Cable built the early structure and Lawson made major improvements later. What is not disputed is that after the death of Peter Cable, Dan and Mary Jane Lawson inherited Cable's propertry. Lawson became the wealthiest man in the cove at the time.

Cades Cove was somewhat isolated from the rest of the world, but not completely. Mail service was established in the cove as early as 1933, and a weekly route was set up by Sevierville post master Philip Seaton in 1939. Additionally, by the 1950s, roads had been cut between Cades Cove and Tuckaleechee and Montvale Springs. But Lawson helped establish phone service in the cove in the 1890s when he and neighbors ran a phone line into Maryville [3]. Considering Lawson's wealth, one wonders where the service was set up...

The cabin has some of the better hand work of the dwellings in the cove. The inside faces of the logs were at least smoothed with an adze, a tool used for smoothing rough-cut wood in hand woodworking. The joists were all smoothed and beaded with hand planes, and the cabin has a brick chimney (vary rare in Cades Cove at the time). In addition to the cabin, other structures at the Dan Lawson site include a smokehouse, a chicken coop, and a hay barn. The property also had a granary, used for storing grains, close to the house. But, for the life of me, I can't tell the difference between a granary and a corn crib.

The Park Service marker at the Lawson place.
A good view of the old and new... notice the heavy chinking in the logs, but the rather smooth clapboard siding. Also, this is a faily good view of the brick chimney.
The smokehouse at the Lawson place. This is a great view of the cantilevered eaves and the dovetail construction. The dovetails were always built to make water drain and prevent rot. Seems to work.
The cabin and the smokehouse. The granary (corn crib) is to the left.
Another shot of the cabin and smokehouse.
And yet, another shot of the cabin and smokehouse.
A closeup of the side of the smokehouse. Again, note the dovetail construction.
The side of the Lawson place looking back towards the cove.
The back of the Lawson cabin.
Another view of the front of the Lawson cabin.
The brick fireplace in the cabin... Sad that vandals have defaced the mantel. If anyone ever sees someone doing this, please inform one of the park rangers.
A great shot of the "transitional" Cades Cove dwelling. Heavy chinking on the rougher logs on the left and sawmill cut and planed boards on the right. Also, vandalism is present here...

Tipton Place

The Tipton place (ca. 1870s) was built shortly after the Civil War by Col. Jonathan Wade Hampton "Hamp" Tipton (1822-1894), a veteran of the Mexican War. Although Tipton lived in nearby Tuckaleechee Cove, he apparently built this dwelling for two of his daughters, "Miss Lucy" and "Miss Lizzie" who were schoolmarms in Cades Cove.

Hamp Tipton was a direct decendant of William "Fighting Billy" Tipton (1761-1849), a Revolutionary War veteran. William Tipton received the first land grant issued by Tennessee in Cades Cove. The grant was for two sections, a total of 640 acres, to consolidate several previous entries and registered March 23, 1821. This was the first recorded legal land title for Cades Cove following the Calhoun Treaty.

Besides the cabin, there are a few other structures of interest on the site including the carraiage house, smokehouse, woodshed, the double pen corn crib, the apiary (or bee gum stand), and the often photographed double cantilever barn. The barn is actually a replica built in 1968, but very reminiscent of the barn that originally stood there. Also on the site is the blacksmith shop, an odd fixture for a couple of teachers. However, in 1878, the Tipton place was rented by James McCaulley (1832-1906), a blacksmith, carpenter, and coffin maker who lived here until he built his own house. McCauly was a welcome addition as blacksmiths were in short supply in the cove at the time.

The blacksmith shop where James McCaulley first set up business when he arrived in Cades Cove. Besides metalsmithing, McCaully was also a carpenter and coffin maker for the cove.
Another view of the blacksmith shop. Eventually, McCaully set up first rate carpentry and blacksmith shops elsewhere in Cades Cove where he lived and worked for a quarter century.
The west side of the Tipton place.
A view of the back of the Tipton place. The apiary is off to the right.
The back of the Tipton place with a view of the chimney. Off to the left, one can see part of the double cantilever barn across the loop road.
A view of the front of the Tipton place as one approaches fromt the loop road parking area.
The smokehouse where meats (mainly pork) would have been prepped and stored for the winters.
The long shed on the opposite side of the house is an apiary (or bee gum stand). Honey was a commonly used as a sweetener, and also a money crop for some farmers. The apiary sheltered the hives from the weather, but not from bears.
This was originally the carriage house and it had a red-wheeled carriage in it. The park service removed the carriage and boarded up the sides as you see it here.
Once a common site in the Smokys, this barn is a replica built by the park service in 1968. It's a pretty good copy of the barn which was there in the 1800's.
Notice the barn's two pen design and its huge eaves. This design allowed overhang protection for outside animals and equipment, and provided complete shelter for stalled animals, and an isle between the pens large enough to accommodate a wagon.
The photo is a little "grainy" and over exposed, but look how far the eaves stick out over the front of the barn.
This is the back of the double cantilever barn. Again, notice how far the eaves extend past the barn.
Across the road is the double pen corn crib. It's considerably larger than average corn cribs. Notice the driveway through the center.
Another view of the smokehouse...
Another view of the smokehouse...
Another view of the smokehouse...
Another view of the smokehouse...

Carter Shields Cabin

George Washington "Carter" Shields (1844-1924) purchased the cabin and land from John Sparks in 1910, but the cabin dates to the 1880s. Shields was wounded and crippled for life in the battle of Shiloh during the Civil War. He only lived in the cabin from the time he purchased it in 1910 until 1921 when he moved to Kansas where he lived for the rest of his life.

George Washington "Carter" Shields (1844-1924) cabin. Carter Shields purchased the cabin and land from John Sparks in 1910, but the cabin dates to 1880s. Shields lived in the cove until 1921.
George Washington "Carter" Shields (1844-1924) cabin. Carter Shields purchased the cabin and land from John Sparks in 1910, but the cabin dates to 1880s. Shields lived in the cove until 1921.
Another view of the Carter Shields cabin.
And yet another view of the Carter Shields cabin.
The back of the Carter Shields cabin.
A different view of the back of the Carter Shields cabin.

Other Cades Cove Adventures

The Anthony Creek horse camp is located in the Cades Cove area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Resources

"Cades Cove.", and linked articles. Cades Cove the jewel of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.. 2010.
<http://www.yoursmokies.com/cades-cove.html>.
(22 Dec., 2010).

Churches, Buildings, and Barns 1

Cades Cove, Smoky Mountain National Park

Click any of the pictures to get a better view