Hilltopper Heritage

Building History - Felts Log House

Namesake - The cabin is named for the family that built and used it.

History - The home was built in Logan County ca 1810. Archibald Felts built it for his family to stay safe. When Felts went to meet some family in Nashville, the home was burned by Indians. When his family made it to Bowling Green they lived in a cave while Felts built what is now known the Felts Log House. His decedents lived in the house until 1960.

The house was donated to the Kentucky Museum in 1979 by its most recent owner, Sam Houston Watkins. The house has two chimneys and a dogtrot. When the house was moved to Western it was converted to a pioneer museum. It took movers three days to move the house. It has since been furnished with pioneer-era reproductions.

Additions - 1980 - it took three years to completely restore the house; rotten logs, siding, and mud chinking was replaced, a roof of hand-split red oak shingles was added

1990 - renovations; $30,000 was used to furnish the interior

Sources - College Heights Herald - 1979 October 23, p. 8

Louisville Courier-Journal - 1980 June 20 & 23

Park City Daily News - 1980 June 22; October 20
1983 August 17, p. 11A
1987 May 8
1988 April 17
1989 July 24
1990 December 14
1991 March 31
1992 March 13
2004 July 6
2005 March 23

Veneman, Bill. "It Always 'Felt' Like Home," Bowling Green, Fall/Winter 1983

Western Alumnus Spring 1992

Researched and written by Jenna Hawkins, 2008.