Beaverhead County Museum – Cabin Restoration

The Beaverhead County Museum used MHF funds to restore a log cabin on the museum campus to once again open the cabin for public view. The cabin was built in 1885 by Thomas W. Poindexter, a son of Philip Poindexter, one of the original owners of the P&O Ranch just outside of Dillon. The logs came from the Hoffman Gulch area because the trees were short, but thick in diameter. The logs were hand hewn, the corners fitted and stacked to the needed height. It was typical of many of the cabins built during this era.

The base logs of the cabin had begun to decay, and the cabin was in danger of collapse. The museum replaced the rotted logs, reapplied chinking between the logs, and reformed the putty around the windows. The new logs were crafted to blend into the original structure, and the other repairs used historically accurate techniques.