Frankfort Time Traveling

For history buffs who love imagining the lives of their forebears, I had an experience on Thursday that delved into what life might have looked like in the 1700s or 1800s. The settlers of early Ohio might have built these cabins, and perhaps my great-great grandparents raised their families in similar rustic structures.

On one of Frankfort's main streets, this unassuming cabin sits quietly back a distance from the sidewalk allowing its neighboring houses with much more stately presence to capture the attention of passersby.

This little cabin, however, holds secret treasures! The owner and resident, Pam Preston, pictured below, has created a bona fide history museum. I had the good fortune to be invited to a luncheon held here on Thursday, courtesy of quilter friend, Terry, who treated all of us Frankfort Girls to a wonderful holiday experience.

Pam's home is a genuine cabin from the area - or I should say, four cabins that have been moved here and joined together to make a livable, comfortable home for the modern resident. Previous owners did all that hard work of moving and joining cabins; Pam is lucky enough to be the current curator of the cabins, and she is possibly the perfect owner of such a home. I was fascinated at the depth of her knowledge of the history of the Frankfort area, in addition to genealogical history on the photos, artifacts, and memorabilia she has used in her decor. Living history! She is living it, and we were soaking it in - I could have stayed all day to hear her stories.

It would take me pages and pages of notes to retell all I learned so I will not even try; I'm the type of student who needs to hear it repeatedly - then maybe I can keep it all straight. Anyway, here are some pictures of just a fraction of her space. They will at least give you a sense of the rustic decor Pam has created, as well as the interior walls and structure of the cabins.

Looking into the 3rd cabin, and in the distance, the 4th.

All of these pictures were taken from the second cabin of the four, in the room where we dined. We enter into the first cabin, walk through the family room to this second cabin, the dining room. If you continue on through, two more cabins are behind this. The stairs here with the crocks lined up on the steps lead to a bedroom for grandkids. The front room cabin has a staircase, as well, leading to the master bedroom, but because they are separate cabins, the upstairs rooms do not join.

You may have noticed the fantastic primitives, antiques and decor - all Pam's collecting over the years is paying off big-time in this setting. She has acquired some lovely pieces, and from large tables and cupboards to the smallest trinkets on tiny shelves, the rustic look is absolutely complete.

In this picture, Helen is turned around to study a ledger on display; the ledger is an artifact from Pam's ancestors, and just along the right side of the picture, you get a tiny glimpse into the kitchen. It has all the necessary modern conveniences and upgrades to satisfy today's lifestyle. Also in this picture, you can see a bit of the spacious, roomy harvest table where the seven of us were served lunch.

Here's another view of those crocks on the stairs. I love that primitive little book shelf, but I also wanted to point out the fantastic hooked rug on the wall; a friend of Pam's made it for her in exchange for a large egg basket that Pam made. Bartering at it's finest! For years, she made, taught and sold baskets. Get this: in true 'it's-a-small-world' fashion, I actually first met Pam in the late 1980s when I took several basket-weaving classes from her!

Okay, I must go back. Maybe several return visits are necessary. One visit was simply not enough to adequately soak in all that is contained in this home - the history, every item on the walls, the furniture, the workmanship - everything had a story, and Pam kept it all straight. A book needs to be written, for sure, from all the details contained within these walls.

Little did I know that such a fantastic treasure was nestled into the middle of Frankfort. I daresay, few neighbors know of its existence. I consider myself quite lucky to have experienced this bit of time-travel.

Thank you, Terry! I had the time of my life! What a truly special day!

And thank you, Pam, for caring about history and for your willingness to share it with others!

Happy Quilting, Friends!