Log craftsmanship

No two log cabins are the same.

How the logs are joined together and individually hewn gives each cabin its own character and charm. I like taking the time to admire the logs when I’m cleaning and dusting them. There is a timelessness and sturdiness about this construction. The beauty of the logs doesn’t need to be polished or adorned in any way. It just is.

If you look carefully at the log walls on our Yksi (No. 1) cabin, which dates back to the 1880s, you’ll see hatch marks indicating the order in which the logs were assembled. This was a practical solution when the cabin was rebuilt on its current site in the 1920s, but it also adds to the cabin’s old-world charm.

The chinking material between the logs is old, especially on the Yksi cabin, and includes clay, rope, mud, and mosses. New chinking today uses more flexible synthetic materials. Even after well over a century though, the cabins retain heat well and are amazingly cozy.

The different size pine logs are also fascinating, each one cut from the Manninen property. The lake-facing cabins 1-4 are entirely log construction. The back cabins 5-7 were built in the 1930s after a sawmill was built on the property to create boards and enhance construction options.

Each cabin has a different floor plan, offering many options and sleeping arrangements. Many returning guests have their favorite but some find it fun to stay in a different cabin each year.