Moving Day for historic Dahlonega cabin

DAHLONEGA - It's not every day that a log cabin comes up the street in Dahlonega, especially a vintage pioneer cabin that dates back 180 years, but one did Tuesday morning and it arrived at North Georgia College and State University.

Looper's House Moving from Gainesville pulled the 16 by 20 foot cabin, built in 1832, six miles from its original site to its new location behind the historic Vickery House on the North Georgia Campus.

Alice Sampson, Georgia Appalachian Studies Center Director, said the cabin is a treasure and will be a focal point.

"It is considered by folks who know cabins to be one of finest specimens on the East Coast and so it is a miracle," Sampson said. "It was well tended by many generations of the Thompsons who lived in the cabin. A Thompson lived in the cabin in 1832."

Sampson said the cabin would be a learning tool, with a stage built in front for community performances.

Georgia Appalachian Studies Center Program Director Rosann Kent said the cabin would teach the students about mountain history and people. She said Center officials worked for three years to get the cabin on campus.

"We'll be using it as a teaching tool for the Appalachian Studies Center," Kent said. "Our students will have the adventure of uncovering the mystery of who built the cabin and when and what it was used for."

The Gold Rush era cabin will be stabilized with an authentic new roof and foundation and possibly open to the public in April. Sampson was not sure gold miners from the first gold strike in U.S. history lived in it.

Jim and Betty Smulian owned the cabin and donated it to the University.

"They had a fear that the cabin would be a tree falling in the forest, that it would be sitting by its lonesome and no one would ever appreciate what it represents for the community, which is hard times and hard lives," Sampson said.

Project Architect Matt Millard said now that the cabin is behind the Vickery House there is still a lot of work to do.

"We're going to begin a leveling process where we take the cabin off the trailer that it's on," Millard said. "We're going to install short steel columns, then slowly lower it and level the best we can."

According to Millard the cabin will have a modern foundation concealed by natural stone for a period correct look. There will also be a fire place and the roof will be made of authentic wood shingles.