The Somerset reporter., 1895-12-10
ANCIENT LOG CABIN.
STANDS ON LAND THAT ONCE BE.
LONGEO TO WILLIAM PENN.
with Additions II Is One of the Old Manor
Houses and Was the Birthplace of Prom
inent Families Finding an English Cola
of 10 Years Ago.

of 10 Years Ago.
In the northeastern part of the pretty
little town nf Media, the county sat df
Delaware county, Pa, on tract of land
lIown as star Mount. owued by
Samuel ". Powell, is located d genuine
curiosity III the f9fm Of an old log
house, which contains much to interest
the antiquarian, and to afford material
for the historian. The structure meas
ures 22 fe"t III length and Is 20 foet
wide and II feet high. It = said t. he
one Of the original manor houses con.
strueted shortly after the arrival ef VII
liam Penn and his colony on the banks
Of the Delaware river Circumstances
point toward that belief, and prove the
claim to antiquity, which makes tie
old log house an important link connect.
ing the distant paA with the present.
This house Is constructed Of oak and
chestnut logs hewn from the primcval
forest, while standing beside II is
giant oak, the largest by all odds IN tie
surrounding country, which is Il living
witness Of the age Of the loWly dWoll-
ing which finds shelter beneath Its huge
9utspieadlhE arms. Tree and nous" oe
each the complement OF the other and
seem destined to continue their ntiIu5-
cy dining succeeding years, and perhaps
ages.
In the year lhel A. u, on the "a
day u Mafch, Fete1 and William lay
Tor purchased me A'hd upon VI leh these
obJeetS ef interest stand IRON AllidH
ftlh III l.~@ ldlu' ana Oh the "a INST
Ihoiii"s Io"eu TOOK ute 10 the Iahd
apoh Whleh tle mousse ana tree stand
ana auJaeent tracts ana after numerous
transfers II ilhaily came INTO the pcs.
SESSION oi MI. f9"cIIa VINO formerly
reslaeu III tols CITY, bui VINO now lives
III star Moullt' III northwest Mtdia
pen dise"N'llh III" historic Ndlne q
iAe house ana oak he subsequent y tGah
pfeeautiohH u preserve the Objects of a
past aye ana CIVILIZATION.
Inc heuHe Is constructed e1 logs ana
to prevent the entrance OF cold ar tdey
were cnlhkod WIN mortar ne slddi'
Wihdo"s ana doors were hdlid m"9e,
from ihe PRIMITIVE oak cal from th'
lolest me faces ana ehdS ei Ihese Ie-s
are scared and de1acod by exposure H.
the storms e1 at least two 'tniurles.
ana snow plallliy the r"Vas'S o1 the
iGo'A q 'lIA'' out at hearl are as
nara ana SOUND us when hrst placed III
pos4tloh l" form mouse Tor one eI
Ienh loiI'AeIS.
Hhe present owner oeSlrlhg 10 uolh
preserve inns anelent structure ana 10
Improve l'' surloahdlh4S' added some
seven or eI&h' years ago several ADA
tlohal rooms TO the orlglnal mansion
uut outslde 'l1e MASSIVE old chlmhey Is
exposed To view, ana INSIDE the logs
WIN 'Hell as'eIIhS' 'he NIhuo"s anu
doors win 'helr wooden latches aha
strings may be seen, While the low cell
ing ol homemaue boards point To ii GATE
Wleh the oX ana saw were almost uni
Neisaliy usca py our lorelalherS
AT 'he llhe "heh the addltlons above
mentioned Were mace an old Ehghsh
CON WIS luuhu. upon examination lhe
com proved To De penny oi 'he reign
ol hlhS George |, ana "hlle the date Is
Almost llloRlhie' IL seems To- De l.@4' or
perhaps an eafller GATE, TINS ola Eng.
lish penny was lying uhder the oId
WOODEN ooer Sill ana haa become I'M
ue'i'i'u III .i1e ef"ulla' ana Was OH
ufouRhU 10 lPht ny the use ol PICK ana
shovel HIstofN ana tf"dllloh unite IN
'he s'orV III It ia'ioh TO thls old mouse.
beginning WIN the river l'eIaWafF
ana reaching a' lar as portions ol Nhfs-
t0r county ana bounded aiso py hi0le'
ana Nruhl creeks were some Two 'lael Il
u lald d'eaed 10 inc layloiS' fo"ell'
ana otherS III Iool ny lne proprietor
ana louhaer ol our s'a'e' "lIilam Fehn'
Cpoii eaeil u 'hese Two tracts OF parcels
u Iahd loS holiSes were eree'ed' ana one
u 'hehl WAS oeslfoNea py me one oI
.aese houses, the one now owned ny MI.
Fo"ell III upper lioVldehee TOWNSHIP
survivor, and 1t is cUrrespOndingly
prlZed by HIM
The house and cid oak, together with
the cuuoSltles connected with them,
are very antique, and there is no doubt
but that the claim OF antiquity is well
founded. Ia l'l5 1t was III the old !eg
CABIN that Iohn Powell changed from
the Quaker to the Baptist faith, and cr-
ganlzed the First Baptist church of Del
aware county, known as the Brandy
VINE chuIch. The congregation W"S
'"Hmcd On June IA, lilo, with 10 mem
oers, and among the delegates Were
Abel Morgan OF this city and James
IcneS and Joseph Eaton Of Delaware.
Thus the old house, constructed by