The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 82, July 1978 - April, 1979 Page: 343
496 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Book Reviews
Upon arrival they retained their traditions but occasionally adjusted
them in response to the exigencies of new environmental conditions
and to the influences of new associations with others already settled in
a particular area.
Among the materials at hand for building construction were adobe,
stone, and logs, each of which was employed in any area according to
the knowledge and inclinations of builders. Texas Log Buildings sur-
veys the origins and types of horizontal log construction used by people
from different cultural backgrounds who settled in the various regions
within the Lone Star State where timber was available. It avoids dis-
cussion of structures with palisado, or vertical log, walls, such as were
erected by Spanish-Mexican immigrants and others.
In the compilation of this work, the author used a variety of sources
including the Texas Log Cabin Register (TLCR), an important file
containing references on more than eight hundred structures; the rec-
ords of the Historic American Buildings Survey, which are deposited in
the Library of Congress; and the original observations recorded by
early travelers and residents.
Appropriately, Jordan emphasizes the diversity of the "log culture
complex." The variety of details appearing in log building techniques
that were imported from Europe and the United States is a primary
focus. The ethnic origins of settlers, species of trees available, skills of
builders, and economy of means were factors that influenced the ap-
pearance of log buildings. Also included in the study are methods of
wall construction. The forms of log cross sections, types of corner joints,
materials for chinking, as well as techniques of accomplishing these and
their distribution in Texas are well described.
A discussion of various components of cabins follows: floors, roofs,
chimneys, doors, windows, and floor plans. The diversity of configura-
tions of details is significant and interesting. Noteworthy are the excel-
lent descriptions of several types of single-pen log dwellings, as well as
a variety of double-pen log houses (the author makes a distinction be-
tween log cabins and log houses). However, had it been available, more
information on such features as door latches, pivots, hinges, shutters,
and types of sashes would have improved this section.
The various functions that log structures served also is well surveyed.
The buildings were used not only for dwellings but also for other pur-
poses, including churches, schools, courthouses, and jails. Incidentally,
among the most intriguing techniques described are those developed
to strengthen enclosures to secure prisoners.343
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 82, July 1978 - April, 1979, periodical, 1978/1979; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101206/m1/395/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.