A Cabin of Reclaimed Materials
The little cabin with a big story.
Life in remote Alaska requires storage and repurposing of so many materials because the nearest hardware store is over a hundred miles away and the closest big box store is 250 miles away in Wasilla. When materials are transformed from one life to another, they take on some interesting stories. For the past year we have been working on a sizable repurposing project— The Raven Cabin.
Begun by a homesteader who cut and milled local white spruce trees into 8-inch D-logs many years ago, we completed it using reclaimed lumber from the iconic historic Duffy’s Tavern. Opened in the 1950s, Duffy’s was located on the wild and lonely stretch of the Tok Cutoff about three miles from the Nabesna Road junction and was a favorite watering hole for the many far-flung homesteaders, bush pilots, and travelers chasing their various Alaskan mountain adventures. Operated for over 50 years, it changed hands many times and gradually fell into disrepair. During its heyday through the boom of early big game hunting and trans-Alaska pipeline construction, it offered a restaurant, store, gas station, tavern, and airstrip which attracted travelers from miles around to share stories and make some new ones with liquid courage as co-pilot.
Years outside in Alaska’s harsh climate adds unique texture to each log.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
As the easy money economy waned with the closure of homesteading, falling oil prices, and increased hunting regulations, so did the lifestyle that supported Duffy’s. By the early 2000s, many of the area’s patrons had moved on and many of the buildings had fallen apart. A local longtime homesteader was hired to dismantle some of them and, ever resourceful, he salvaged the best boards for later use.
Fast forward several years to 2021 when the homesteader decided to head for better weather and allowed us to move the stacked log base to the lodge along with all the reclaimed materials to finish it. Although it was a long and tedious process, our family hand-picked and placed every board that went into the cabin. Along with the homesteader’s step son who sanded the gray from the logs, we sanded each unique plank which varied in length, width, and thickness to reveal the character of the wood and preserve the memory of a warm, friendly outpost in the far flung mountains of interior Alaska. The Raven Cabin is now ready to host the next chapter in the story as an en suite guest cabin for wild souls seeking Alaskan adventures and a place to make incredible memories.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.