The Family Cabin: Inspiration for Camps, Cottages, and Cabins

278 Pages·2017·58.33 MB·English

by  Dale Mulfinger

The Family Cabin
Inspiration for Camps, Cottages, and Cabins
DALE MULFINGER author of The Cabin and Back to the Cabin
DALE MULFINGER has been building and
writing about cabins for more than 20 years
and is widely acknowledged as the foremost
expert on cabins in North America.
In this new collection of 37 cabins and
fascinating cabin stories, Mulfinger rekindles
his love for this enduring American icon and
provides inspiration for anyone dreaming of a
peaceful retreat for their own family. Cabins
have held a unique place in the lives and lore of
many American families since the beginning of
the 20th century, and cabin creation continues
today with new forms and materials that give
shelter at nature’s doorstep.
Some of the cabins featured are brand-new,
others have been passed down through the
generations, but all are places where families
come together to relax, to fish, to swim, to sit
around the campfire, and best of all to make
cabin memories.

The Family Cabin

The Family Cabin
Inspiration for Camps, Cottages, and Cabins
DALE MULFINGER, author of The Cabin and Back to the Cabin
C
Text © 2017 by Dale Mulfinger
Photographs © 2017, as noted on pp. 264–265
Illustrations © 2017 by The Taunton Press, Inc.
All rights reserved.
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The Taunton Press, Inc.
63 South Main Street
PO Box 5506
Newtown, CT 06470-5506
e-mail: [email protected]
EDITOR: Peter Chapman
COPY EDITOR: Diane Sinitsky
ART DIRECTOR: Rosalind Loeb
JACKET/COVER DESIGN: Alison Wilkes
INTERIOR DESIGN: Alison Wilkes
LAYOUT: Alison Wilkes
ILLUSTRATOR: Christine Erikson
The following names/manufacturers appearing in The Family Cabin are trademarks:
Airstream®, Benjamin Moore®, Cor-ten®, Energy Star®, Formica®, Jiffy Lube®,
Kynar®, Lincoln Logs®, Monopoly®, Parallam®, PolyWhey®, Thermomass®, Yahtzee®
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mulfinger, Dale, 1943- author.
Title: The family cabin : inspiration for camps, cottages, and cabins /
Dale Mulfinger.
Description: Newtown, CT : The Taunton Press, Inc., 2017.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017007155 | ISBN 9781631866524 (hardcover)
ISBN 9781631866586 (paperback) | ISBN 9781631869051 (mobi) | ISBN
9781631869037 (PDF)
Subjects: LCSH: Vacation homes--United States. | Cottages--United States. |
Log cabins--United States.
Classification: LCC NA7575 .M847 2017 | DDC 728.7/20973--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017007155
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
4 INTRODUCTION
Dedication
To the many current and future cabin owners who
continue to present me with such rich material for
stories, ideas, and photos.
Of special note is my brief friendship with the late cabin
owner Jake Franssen. May he enjoy Rome from a new
and better view.
Acknowledgments
I’m grateful for the unending help from my wife,
Jan; the editing by Peter Chapman; the artful eye of
Rosalind Loeb; and the exceptional photography
of Susan Teare, Troy Thies, Carolyn Bates, and others.
Contents
Introduction 2
History Lessons 8
A Cabin with a History 10
The Camp That Keeps on Growing 18
Peace Cabin 26
Welcoming Cabin 32
Windswept 38
All about the Porch 46
For Everyone a View 52
Family Memories 54
Heavenly Haven 62
Trustworthy 70
In Search of a Mountain Cabin 76
In the Treetops 82
Mother’s Place 88
Nature’s Bounty 96
Island Cabin on Elbow Lake 98
High Country Timber Frame 104
Trout Fishing in Minnesota 110
Escape to Boone Mountain 116
Stealth Cabin 122
A Maine Island Camp 128
Nestled Together 136
Fish Creek Cabins 138
The Luxury of Place 146
Shared Compound 152
Tree House 158
Full House 164
Twin-Family Lodge 172
Fun and Functional 180
Modern Cabin 182
Wee in the Wilderness 188
Old Truck Cabin 194
Hudson Valley Retreat 200
Color Me Cabin 206
Stargazer 212
Prospects for the Future 218
Concrete Cabin 220
Some Assembly Required 228
A Cabin Off the Grid 234
Inside Out 240
Transported to Nature 246
A Cabin Transformation 252
Cabin in the Sky 258
Credits 264