Property Record
S SIDE OF COUNTY HIGHWAY YY 2 MI E OF STATE HIGHWAY 102
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | ALBIN JOHNSON LOG HOUSE |
|---|---|
| Other Name: | OUR YESTERDAY HOUSE |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 18988 |
| Location (Address): | S SIDE OF COUNTY HIGHWAY YY 2 MI E OF STATE HIGHWAY 102 |
|---|---|
| County: | Price |
| City: | |
| Township/Village: | Spirit |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | 34 |
| Range: | 3 |
| Direction: | E |
| Section: | 26 |
| Quarter Section: | NE |
| Quarter/Quarter Section: | NW |
| Year Built: | 1885 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1976 |
| Historic Use: | house |
| Architectural Style: | Side Gabled |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Log |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Johnson, Albin, Log House |
|---|---|
| National Register Listing Date: | 1/20/1978 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. TIGHT FITTING SQUARE CUT LOGS W/ FULL DOVETAIL CNR NOTCHING DOUBLE HUNG 2/2 WINDOWS MOVED FROM ORIGINAL LOCATION AT 3403E-26 NW NE SWEDISH SETTLERS OF AREA BUILT BLDGS W/ A JOHNSON'S HELP [Date Cnst:CA] In 1878, Swedish immigrants arrived in this white pine forest, hoping to settle along the Spirit River. Discovering Germans already there, the Swedes fanned out along the tributaries, including Johnson Creek. Swedish craftsman Amandus Johnson built this one-and-one-half-story, side-gabled house for Albin Johnson, using pine, tamarack, and hemlock. Its log construction features flat-hewn sides and coved bottoms, fit and pegged together to form walls connected with half-dovetail notches. One-inch holes appear at intervals along the logs where Amandus placed pegs that formed his scaffold while he built the structure. When he finished, he plugged the holes with wood. Finally, he cut two doorways into the main facade, each of which leads to its own room. Divided by a fireplace, these two equal-sized rooms fill the ground floor. Originally a ladder led to the sleeping loft upstairs; now a steep staircase provides access. The Johnson Cabin stood on a farmstead about one and one-half miles to the northwest. It was moved to this site in 1969, to save it from demolition. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |