Before it was moved to the Monroe County Fairgrounds in 1960, the 1859 Eby Log Cabin stood on Stewart Road in Monroe.
Also on Stewart Road at the time was another log home. Since 1981, that other cabin has been on display at the Troy Historic Village. It’s even served as the set for two films.
“The (cabins) were both on Stewart Road and owned by cousins,” said local historian David Eby from the Monroe County Historical Society. “The Eby Cabin was the bigger of the two. Johann Eby built his in 1859. It is not known when the second one was built or by whom. While the Eby Cabin was physically moved to the fairgrounds, the ‘Troy’ cabin was dismantled in Monroe and reassembled in Troy at their history park.”
“The Log Cabin came to us from Monroe,” said Jen Peters, executive director of Troy Historic Village. “Here in Troy, there may still be a log cabin hiding within one of our historic homes, but there were not any stand-alone log cabins remaining, and the Troy Historical Society wanted to tell that part of the settlement story of Troy. The Troy Historical Society raised $20,000 to purchase it, and the City of Troy moved and rebuilt it at the Village.”
Troy Historical Society learned about the Monroe log home from a Monroe resident, the late Floreine Mentel.
In 1947, according to Troy Historic Village’s website, “Edward and Matilda Doederlein purchased the 72-acre parcel of land where the cabin stood. They built a new home on the property and converted the single-room cabin into a three-room rental unit. Twenty years later, Frenchtown Township approved new building codes that required modern plumbing be installed in the cabin. Mrs. Doederlein planned to raze the building rather than incur the expense of improving it. Her daughter, Floreine Mentel, a member of the Monroe Historical Society, interceded and began searching for a group that would preserve the historic structure.”
According to Troy Historic Village’s website, in 1981 the cabin’s hand-hewn timbers arrived in Troy from Monroe on a flatbed truck.
The single-room cabin is 27-by-21 feet. Troy Historic Village estimates it was built around 1840. No original furnishings remain. Peters said the cabin was inhabited until the 1970s and had no running water. It had an addition.
“When it was purchased and moved, the Historical Society focused on the core of the Log Cabin, bringing mainly the large timbers. The City built a block foundation, restacked the timbers and used a product called ‘Perma-chink’ to fill the gaps. A new roof and new fireplace were added as well as period-appropriate windows and doors,” Peters said.
Peters said the Log Cabin is a popular attraction. Troy Historic Village has 11 buildings on five acre of property.
“The Log Cabin is one of our most-used buildings, and we often cook right over the fire for programs like Open Late, Victorian Christmas and various open houses,” Peters said.
The cabin will be moving around June 2027.
“We received a Community Museum Grant for our West End Expansion Project, which includes moving the Log Cabin,” Peters said. “We have also been adding to the cultural landscape around the Log Cabin and will continue to do that after the move. We currently have a garden, outdoor bread oven, chicken couple, ash hopper and a non-functioning outhouse. We hope to add things like a smokehouse and pigsty.”
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Eby Log Cabin had a neighbor for 100 years. Where’s that cabin now?
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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By Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News | USA TODAY Network
