Chestnut Street Log House, historic house in Pennsylvania, United States
The Chestnut Street Log House is a historic home built around the 1770s in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, constructed from logs stacked on a limestone foundation. The roughly one-and-a-half-story building, three bays wide with a gable roof, exemplifies simple Pennsylvania German architecture and retains its original central fireplace and period features.
The house was likely built in the early 1770s, shortly after George Steitz laid out the town in 1750 and distributed lots for construction. Its preservation was secured in the 1970s after its historical significance was discovered, leading to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The name refers to the street where the house stands, while its log construction reflects typical building methods used by Pennsylvania German settlers in the 1700s. Visitors can see how early settlers used local materials to create practical homes that lasted for generations.
The house can be visited by arrangement, with regular hours on Wednesday afternoons in August from 1 to 4 p.m. when volunteers are present. Admission is free and donations are welcome, while the compact property allows visitors to easily explore all areas.
The house nearly faced demolition until a log house expert noticed its historical importance and took a wood sample revealing construction from the early English colonial period. This discovery saved the building and made it possibly the oldest remaining log structure in the Lebanon County area.
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