The Old Homestead
My grandparents, George and Hannah (Smith) Baughman (originally Bachmann) bought this log house in the first decade of the 20th century. If I'm not mistaken, my mother and her older brother were born here and lived here for a short period, as well. It was located behind Crabapple Reservoir in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It was occupied until the early 1990's, when the old man who lived there—his father had bought it from my grandfather—died. Vandals later burned it to the ground. Lighting was supplied by one bare electric bulb hanging from the ceiling and by kerosene lamps. There was no plumbing. The old man lived in the single downstairs room, as the stairs were not safe to climb. There was an ancient coal stove for heat and cooking. The entire interior was black with coal dust and coal tar.
Copy of a back-lit Ektachrome slide.
The Old Homestead
My grandparents, George and Hannah (Smith) Baughman (originally Bachmann) bought this log house in the first decade of the 20th century. If I'm not mistaken, my mother and her older brother were born here and lived here for a short period, as well. It was located behind Crabapple Reservoir in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. It was occupied until the early 1990's, when the old man who lived there—his father had bought it from my grandfather—died. Vandals later burned it to the ground. Lighting was supplied by one bare electric bulb hanging from the ceiling and by kerosene lamps. There was no plumbing. The old man lived in the single downstairs room, as the stairs were not safe to climb. There was an ancient coal stove for heat and cooking. The entire interior was black with coal dust and coal tar.
Copy of a back-lit Ektachrome slide.