Eggleston cabin available for community events and private accommodations
The Virginian Leader, January 28, 2009--A new cabin, Shawnee Wegiwa, has been constructed in Eggleston for community events and as a rental for private parties and accommodations such as a romantic getaway or a vacation. It sits within walking distance to the New River where fishing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, and tubing are in abundance. It offers two bedrooms, a sleeper sofa in the living area, one full bath, equipped kitchen with refrigerator, stove and microwave, washer and dryer, cable television with DVD/VCR players, local telephone service, wireless internet service, fireplace with gas logs, and central heating and air conditioning.
Beautifully decorated by Mike Fuller, owner, this cabin includes all the amenities needed to make a stay in these accommodations both comfortable and memorable. Unique cabin features include two debarked red cedar trees in the living room, kitchen and dining area. These tree’s branches host an 18-24 inch hornet’s nest, a bird’s nest, a painted gourd and other items. In addition, small white bark birch tree trunks are used as corner posts for the kitchen counter; red cedar slabs frame the front door.
Some of the cabin’s accessories are local artifacts such as arrowheads and tomahawks. In addition, Fuller has displayed bottles, behind glass doors in the cabin’s dining area, found at various locations in this area. When Fuller was asked why he chose this rustic décor, he explained that history is leaving us fast and he wanted people to know about our past.
Fuller continued that he chose Eggleston as the location for this business for two reasons: he has owned this land for seventeen years and the area is rich with local history hence it is a perfect fit for the community. Once Eggleston was identified for the construction of Shawnee Wegiwa, Fuller began to gather local wood and rock for this project. This project was reported as a work of progress for almost eight years, although work was intermittent based upon other employment commitments.
The geographic location of Giles County dictated the types of trees used in cabin construction. They included black walnut, red and white cedar, hemlock, sassafras, poplar and cherry. Once Sonny Jeffers of Ripplemead milled the trees for lumber, the actual construction of the cabin began. When everything was ready, the walls were raised, many hands assisting in the work. Those who participated in the cabin project included Clarence Carr, J.B. Snidow, Denny Rambee (with Jimmy from Narrows), Scott Electric, New River Glass, Reese’s Lumber, J.B. Snidow and others.
For reservation information on the Shawnee Wegiwa cabin, contact Melissa Scott at 540-599-2666, or email her at info@shawnee-wegiwa.com.
One man's dream: sharing the past (article appeared in Fall 2008 in local Giles County paper the Country Current)
Giles County residents and visitors can learn how pioneer settlers constructed log cabins using local resources by visiting the Shawnee Wegiwa cabin on Eggleston Road, in the village of Eggleston. This cabin is the brainchild of Mike Fuller. When asked why he built this, he stated, "History is leaving us fast, I want people to know about our past. I want to show the younger generation how pioneer homes were built years ago."
Fuller continued by explaining that when the pioneers settled in Giles County, they found mountains, beautiful creeks and streams, great forests, palisades of rock along the New River and an abundance of deer, elk, buffalo, and other animals. They built their houses to meet the climatic conditions of this area; construction reflected the availability of the local building materials. Where trees were plentiful, as they were here, the log cabin became the preferred pioneer dwelling. It was simple and practical and could be built with few tools and little money.
When asked why he decided to build his cabin at its current location, Fuller replied that this location was a natural choice for him. He had owned this undeveloped land for seventeen years and Eggleston was rich with local history. This project was a perfect fit for the community.
With the Eggleston location identified for the construction of Shawnee Wegiwa, Fuller began to gather local wood and rock for this project. Construction of the cabin was reported as a work of progress for almost 8 years, although work was intermittent based upon other employment commitments.
The geographic location of Giles County dictated the types of trees used in cabin construction. They included black walnut, red and white cedar, hemlock, sassafras, poplar and cherry. The first trees selected for the frame had straight smooth trunks of approximately the same diameter. The trees were felled, cut into logs of the desired length, and dragged out of the forests. The floors, ceilings and walls in the cabin are made from various local woods, cherry, oak, black walnut, sassafrass and cedar, and from tiles.
Once the trees were milled for lumber by Sonny Jeffers of Ripplemead, the actual construction of the cabin began. When everything was ready, the walls were raised, many hands assisting in the work. Those who participated in the cabin project included Clarence Carr, J.B. Snidow, Denny Rambee (with Jimmy from Narrows), Scott Electric, New River Glass, Reese’s Lumber and others.
The spaces, between the logs forming the walls, were filled with foam insulation and then chinked.
As the most familiar type of pioneer cabin had an outside chimney attached to one of the end walls, J.B. Snidow built the fireplace on the outside wall of the living room. The cabin chimney and fireplace is made of local stone and a piece of petrified wood. Much time, labor and effort were put into digging and collecting the rock. A slate floor has been laid in front of the hearth to catch sparks and provide an entertainment area.
The building of this cabin from scratch required more time and labor in comparison to today’s log cabin kits. The cabin, with its wrap around porch and bigger and grander kitchen, dining and living room common area is more compatible with today’s life styles than most early log cabins.
The cabin is furnished with numerous local artifacts including arrowheads and tomahawks found at some of the Indian village sites. (Burial grounds located in Giles County indicate a Native American presence in the area for more than 10,000 years.) In addition, Fuller has displayed bottles at the cabin that he has found at various locations which he has excavated in this area.
"I was employed by N and W railroad for about thirty-two years. I then went into construction for myself. Whenever I excavate a site in my business, I always look for arrowheads, bottles and other artifacts to add to my collection. Over the years I have found many collectibles and antiques including a Chinese pick used in mining the Eggleston tunnels, a brass electrical outlet from the Eggleston Springs Resort, several tomahawks, multiple fossils, arrowheads and antique bottles." Fuller continued, "I am a digger. I like digging. I clean up the land, cut timber, and pick up anything and make something out of it."
When asked if this cabin will be Fuller’s primary residence, he reported that this cabin has been constructed for community events and as a rental for private parties. True to his word, the first public activity scheduled at this location was on November 23rd for a book signing for local author Joy Huffman. Other events proposed for the future include a New River Glass Antique car show.
History
Giles County, located in Southwest Virginia, with its highest peak at 4,348 feet above sea level, consists of a population of 17,000 residents spread over 363 square miles of beauty and adventure. By analysis of the rocks at Bald Knob and discovery of many marine fossils, geologists have determined that the land rose from under sea at the end of the Mississippian period. This movement deposited many horizontal layers of limestone. The mountain-building processes broke layers, shoved them up, mixed up the blocks and layers, and stood them on edge. As a result, the mountains of Giles have layers tilted at all angles with mixed layers. Geologists also believe that Giles has lost over a vertical mile of material from the surface since it formed. Numerous Indian village sites, burial grounds, and artifacts indicate a Native American presence in the Giles County area for more than 10,000 years. The European pioneers who came much later to Giles County found majestic mountains and beautiful, rushing streams. They also discovered the great towering forests and palisades of rock along the New River with an abundance of deer, elk, buffalo, and other animals roaming the area. Food was plentiful.
The first evidence of white settlers was found at Glen Lyn with an inscription identifying Mary Porter who was killed by Indians on November 24, 1742. Several years later, in 1745, Adam Harmon, a fur trapper, made the first permanent settlement in the county at Eggleston. Sometime later, lumbermen, drawn by the large variety of trees and number of streams and natural springs in this area, were the first major group to settle Giles County.
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