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Feature article
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Plans for historic log cabin to promote tourism
By Walter Littrell
SNEEDVILLE - Hancock County leaders are hoping to breathe new life into a century-old log cabin that has been sitting idle for too long.
Known as the Ramsey House, the one-room chestnut log house served for about a century in the Mulberry Valley as the home for at least four generations of the Ramsey family, said Alvin York "Sonny" Turner, whose wife Annette's family built and occupied the cabin.
Hancock County Mayor Greg Marion said the cabin was bought by the county in 1996 to serve as a headquarters for a fledgling tourism industry. The cabin was paid for with a state grant earmarked for historic preservation.
Turner, who served on the committee that bought the cabin, said the structure was chosen for preservation with the state grant because it was available at the time and because of its near-perfect condition.
"It hadn't been lived in for about 25 years, but it was in great shape. A couple of logs at the bottom had to be replaced, but for a building that age, it was well-preserved," he said.
Turner said he knows at least four generations of the Ramsey family lived in the cabin before it was sold.
The committee bought the building from that owner, he added.
At the time of the purchase, the cabin was moved to a site near the county jail. However, the county was never able to budget money for the tourism operation. Additionally, the county was involved in legal issues regarding the new location of the building.
Last fall, the Hancock County Commission decided to relocate the building to a site at the Farmers Market/Fall Festival site, and just last week the commission allocated $6,000 to pay for the relocation and for a new roof to be added to the building.
Marion said he expects work on the building will start soon, and it is expected to be completed well before the county's annual fall festival.
Although plans on exactly how the building will be used have not been firmed up, Marion said commissioners want - at a minimum - to staff the building during major events such as the fall festival.
It is hoped the cabin can be furnished with antiques and period furniture, with the only modern imposition being an information desk.
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