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Historic log cabin taken down, will be reassembled in Marble Rock

  • Dennis Holmes, Clayton Black and Diane Black take apart the log cabin at Red Cedar Lodge. The cabin was built in 1855. (Press photo James Grob.)

  • A log cabin at Red Cedar Lodge was taken apart Wednesday, to be reassembled on private property in Marble Rock. (Press photo James Grob.)

  • Dennis Holmes and Clayton Black take apart the log cabin at Red Cedar Lodge. The cabin was built in 1855. (Press photo James Grob.)

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The historic log cabin just outside of Charles City has stood strong since 1855.

It will continue to stand, stronger than ever — just at another place, not too far away.

“It was built in Floyd County and it will be retained in Floyd County,” said Tom Winterink, who, along with his wife, Lorraine, are the proprietors of Red Cedar Lodge.

Winterink was on his property Wednesday morning watching, and carefully helping when he could, as Clayton and Diane Black and their friend Dennis Holmes took the cabin down, log by log.

The Blacks intend to move the pieces to their own property in Marble Rock, then rebuild it, as it was.

“This is going to be for private use. We’re going to put it on our property,” said Clayton Black, who added that they would keep the old home primitive — no running water or other amenities.

“It’s not going to be historically correct, because we’ll probably put a steel roof on it and some other things like that, but it will be preserved,” he said. “We will re-erect it and use it as a personal getaway.”

The cabin was on the farm property one mile west of Charles City on Highway 218 when the Winterinks bought it more than 10 years ago, and initial plans for the previous owners to remove the cabin fell through.

Since that time, the Winterinks have turned the property into Red Cedar Lodge, a country retreat designed to provide a quiet recreational getaway. The resort offers three luxury cabins on nearly 30 acres of land along the scenic Cedar River.

All the while they’ve developed and maintained the property, the Winterinks have been looking for someone to take the old cabin off their hands.

Then Clayton and Diane entered the story. The Blacks live in a 1910 schoolhouse that they rescued, and also restored and moved the 1852 Beelar Log Cabin in Marble Rock.

The Beelar Log Cabin was home to Marble Rock’s founder, Jacob Beelar, and was established in 1852. Beelar first came to what would be Floyd County in 1851, and built a 16-foot-by-16-foot log cabin. After living in the cabin for eight years he died, but the cabin and town lived on. Marble Rock was originally called Beelar’s Grove.

Diane Black is a member of the Marble Rock Historical Society, which spent eight years restoring the Beelar Cabin.

“My parents were both really involved with the historical society, and I’ve always been interested in history,” she said.

Clayton and Diane owned and operated a bakery in Greene for 20 years, and Clayton said it was Diane who got him interested in restoring old buildings.

“She gave me 20 years for the bakery and now I’m paying her back with some log cabin time,” he laughed as he knocked another piece of the cabin down. “The roof was in real bad shape. It had been patched over time but it just gave way. In another year, I don’t think the cabin would’ve been worth saving.”

According to Winterink, the cabin was built around 1855 as a home.

“It was built strong,” he said. “That was how the pioneers did things.”

Winterink said they know it was Norwegian built, not German built, because of the way the corners are put together. The cabin was also built with metal nails, instead of wooden pegs, which would indicate it was built by someone with more wealth.

“They had a good foundation of limestone, they built it at the highest point of the property so water drained away,” he said. “It’s a great thing because it’s going to get preserved and be with us for a lot longer time than if we didn’t do it this way.”

The spot where the cabin stood will be covered up, Winterink said, and become part of the Red Cedar Lodge grounds.

“We’re happy that they’re getting it and restoring it, and they’re happy to get it,” he said. “The cabin will continue to stand. It’s a good situation all around.”

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