Step back to 1790 at the historic Greenock Log House
By SARAH PELLIS
spellis@yourmvi.com
Preservation of history isn’t a rare quality in Elizabeth Township.
For 50 years, the Elizabeth Township Historical Society, a nonprofit organization formed in December 1976 following the American Bicentennial celebration, and has been a staple of the community.
From left, President Linda Bennett and vice president Debbie Gilbert of the Elizabeth Township Historical Society pose with a spinning wheel located in the Greenock Log House in the township. Photos by Staff Photographer Jenn Codeluppi
The historical society joined with Elizabeth Township last weekend to mark its 50th anniversary along with America’s 250th celebration anniversary with an anniversary dinner, and tours of historic locations in the township.
The society brings together people interested in the history of Elizabeth Township, its surroundings, Pennsylvania and the nation, and promotes the appreciation and understanding of American heritage.
The society also attempts to preserve the rich cultural, genealogical and historical heritage of “Forks of the Yough.” This is the area between the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers and its valleys, which encompasses parts of Allegheny, Westmoreland and Washington Counties.
Historical Society President Linda Bennett, who has been with the group for 20 years, and Vice President Debbie Gilbert, join several members from Elizabeth Township, and other areas.
They maintain a museum of regional history containing local artifacts, memorabilia, vintage clothing and furniture.
The society also preserves and maintains the Greenock Log Home at 15811 Smithfield St., which depicts life in 1790 in Elizabeth Township.
Cheryl “Gigi” Copeland of the Elizabeth Township Historical Society holds an American
flag that celebrates the United State’s 250th anniversary. Copeland has been involved with the society for 10 years, and portrays Betsy Ross. Photos by Staff Photographer Jenn Codeluppi
Sitting on 1.27 acres, the two-story log house, recovered in a sheriff sale in 2010 to prevent it from being demolished or turned into a fishing cabin, is one of less than a dozen still standing in the area, and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Before the log house, the historical society was based out of the Coates House Museum at 5811 Smithfield St. in the Boston part of the township.
Gilbert approached the historical society when the log house was up for sale. She said several members came together to preserve the historic site.
“This is a corner of this community, and to have this open green space is so valuable to the community,” she said. “This is a horrible, horrible road here, and the alternative was this was going to be sold. The house dates back to 1790. It deserves to be here. This house was a witness to all of the history that occurred here.”
Gilbert said they receive no county funding for the log house as they hold fundraisers, and have received state grants over the years.
Deed research reveals Robert Wilson bought the land patent in 1988 when Pennsylvania and Virginia settled its title claims after the Revolutionary War, but the builder is unknown.
From left, Cheryl “Gigi” Copeland and Linda Bennett of the historical society retrieve water from a pump next to the Greenock Log House. Photos by Staff Photographer Jenn Codeluppi
The house is supported by eight logs and a railroad beam, and the walls consist of clay, straw, and animal hair. A large brick chimney makes up the rear wall of the log home. There are two fireplaces, and a rare “turkey breast” fireplace. The original chimney was damaged in a 1944 tornado.
“You see the soot on the back from probably 1790,” Bennett said. “I did not have that cleaned. That is original, hence you get that smell. (One fireplace) would have been used for cooking, and we have a kettle that we place there. Everything had a purpose. Nothing went to waste, everything had a use.”
The historical society hired Tom McGill, who specializes in architectural restoration and carpentry, to remove paneling, dilapidated plaster, 27 layers of wallpaper and interior walls to reveal original beams, the outside log walls, wide floorboards and the original staircase.
There have been a variety of restoration projects over the years, including the four sides of the house, which cost $18,000 and was done a couple years ago, and the 225-year-old chinking which contains clay with horse and human hair.
“Everything tells a story,” Gilbert said. “The oak logs and the trees themselves were maybe 150 years old. So you are looking at something that has been here since 1790, and 150 years before that. They were (also) so smart.”
From left, Cheryl “Gigi” Copeland and Linda Bennett of the historical society retrieve water from a pump next to the Greenock Log House. Photos by Staff Photographer Jenn Codeluppi
They also have older windows that were saved, even though they may not date back to 1790, according to Gilbert, with their own wooden pegs to keep the windows open. The families that lived in the house based their wealth on the look of the floors of the house.
Repairing the exterior logs was part of the restoration of the house, and they used 200-year-old white oak logs with a goal of authentic restoration to maintain value and integrity of the project.
Bennett said they lost a lot of the logs due to rot, so they decided to make candle stands and other artifacts from the them that are still in the house today.
They got white oak from the same time period at an auction in Avella, and that allowed the society to put on a front porch at the house along with other repairs. They also restored the second floor children’s hands-on room, which is an interactive school room, and other parts of the house.
“When we had the porch built, it was cut with a linear saw, not a circular, to keep in tone with the period,” Bennett said. “The nails here are hand-poured nails from a blacksmith, so those are all original. You were (also) taxed on the number of windows that you had in your home. This house has 11 windows, so this is a log home, not a log cabin. A cabin had one window, one door and a dirt floor.”
Elizabeth Township Historical Society’s Scott Conway of Blaine Hill writes with a feather pen the upstairs part of the Greenock Log House dressed as a soldier. Photos by Staff Photographer Jenn Codeluppi
Inside the house, there are also various artifacts, including a grandfather clock. There are also hand-sewn rugs, clothing and various historical items that show the township’s history.
“They knew how to survive,” society member Scott Conway said. “They knew all the little tricks. Nowadays if something doesn’t work right, let’s go online and go to Walmart and get what we need. They needed it, they made it. This was the wild west, and this was it.”
Adjacent to the house is a barn, which the society worked on last year to get up and running, according to Bennett. Put together by Amish builders using the old barn from Chelse’s Roofing, it is now used for bake sales, other fundraisers and storage.
Efforts to preserve the Greenock Log House have ignited heritage-related programming featuring the Youghiogeny River Trail, local businesses and restaurants, student arts, educational programs, exhibits and annual events.
Conservation ideas generated interpretive and educational displays and daylong events. There was a deed signing ceremony in 2011, and several other events at the home over the years.
The Historical Society also maintains the Golda B. Abraham Memorial Library, the Dravo Cemetery in Elizabeth Township and the Coulter Cemetery in South Versailles.
The Historical Society wants to add an addition to the house that would be serviceable with a kitchenette and bathrooms and the outside would match the outside logs. They would also like more educational aspects to get the school district involved.
Cheryl “Gigi” Copeland has been with the society for 10 years. She said people do not know their own history a lot of the time, and it is important to learn about it.
Bennett and Gilbert said the Greenock Log House and the historical society has meant everything to them, and even with vandalism and funding issues over the years, they still manage to persevere. Bennett added that they are thankful for the community members that support the historical society.
“What’s amazing is the number of people that drive by here that have never been inside, that have never stopped, that have never taken the time,” Bennett said. “You have to learn from the past to make your future more pliable. There are lessons to learn.”
“It’s intergenerational. It’s just not a certain age group that is attracted to history. It’s something that the different generations can share. You got a good group of people here that put time and a lot of money into it, and a lot of love,” Gilbert said. “They see the value in teaching what was history, and that it’s valuable today. Lessons are here.”
