The good news is the former West Township Trustee cabin is salvageable. How much money it will take to restore it and relocate it will take some effort.
Marshall County Parks and Recreation Board member Richard Markley updated the board members at their meeting last week on the progress of saving the 1846 cabin. He said he and West Township Trustee Terry Borggren talked with the owner of Log Home Restoration Specialists out of Lafayette about the cabin. There will be some logs that need to be replaced, but logs from higher in the existing structure could be used to replace those logs. However, it would shorten the structure by about a foot.
The floor in between the main level and the loft of the cabin would need to be completely replaced, but with the possibility of shortening the height of the structure, the floor may not need to be replaced, but removed. Nevertheless, it would need new floor joists and a roof. The rest of the logs and the interior would be cleaned and refurnished.
Board President Greg Hildebrand said history organizations in the county would like to see it preserved with original integrity.
It was previously reported that the cabin would be relocated to a parcel on the West Township High School from its current location across the street on State Road 17. That detail is not quite finalized. If it could not be located there it could be moved to Memorial Forest.
Estimates for the restoration project will be provided in a future meeting. The board may seek grants for the process or take donations for the effort.
