Log Cabins in the Smokies

Original Log Cabins in the Smokies: The original Scandanavian-inspired Handcrafted style of log cabin was adopted by the early settlers in Cades Cove and other parts of the area. These homes were built with logs square-cut with hand tools, many of them from chestnut trees. These log cabins required a filling in between the logs, called "chinking" which was mud or mortar. Homes you see now in the Cove may have this mortar missing. While contemporary builders correctly refer to new construction as a "log home" these original buildings were aptly named "log cabins", with usually just one or two rooms and a loft.
Handhewn log cabin in Cades Cove