Tom’s Cabin Building in 1983

Tom Heck contacted me about a cabin he had built back in 1983 and he wanted to share his story with you. Here is Tom to tell you his story.

In the spring of 1983 I was finishing up my second year at Virginia Tech.  I felt lost and frustrated at school.  When I came to VT I thought I wanted to be an engineer but that wasn’t working out.

I decided I needed to clear my head by taking on a big challenge and I narrowed it down to either hiking the Appalachian Trail or joining the Marines.

When I was deciding what to do I met a guy named Eddie, a local who owned property about 10 miles from campus.  He must have sensed I was ready for a big challenge because he asked if I wanted to build a cabin on his property.  I thought about it for one night and decided this was exactly what I needed.

I had zero experience building save for the dog house I built while in high school.  Eddie said he would help guide me in the process but the lion’s share of work would be up to me.

The deal was that I could live rent free while I was attending college.  I was to move out once I graduated.

Building the cabin and living in it was an incredible experience.  I built the cabin for $1,100 and the investment paid off in more ways than I could ever have imagined.

I lived in the cabin from the summer of 1983 to fall of 1985.  No rent.  No phone bill.  No electric bill.  No water bill.  No trash removal bill.

Some of the lessons I learned / looking back:

1. It’s not critical to have electricity, running water, and a phone to be comfortable. With that said – if I was doing it again today – I would figure out a way to get a laptop computer with internet access (charge on the car battery or small solar panel).
2. I learned how to conserve water. I learned the value of a clean and abundant water supply.
3. I learned how to use a chainsaw without hurting myself.
4. I learned how to be quiet and enjoy it.
5. I learned that building a home is relatively easy (it’s not rocket science). This knowledge has provided me with a great sense of security over the years.
6. I wished I had built a cabin with half the footprint and built with a very steep roof to provide a second story. Building the foundation took an enormous amount of time compared to the rest of the building process. Building up (steep roof) would have been faster (I think).
7. As soon as I was done building the cabin I found out about yurts. Had I known about yurts I would have built one of those instead.
8. I learned how to become more self-sufficient.
9. I learned how to ask for help after I injured my back and needed help stacking firewood.
10. I learned how valuable electricity is.
11. I learned how to navigate a dirt road under all types of conditions (deep mud, ice, snow) and learned when to park and walk.
12. I learned how to stay warm in the winter. I learned how to cut wood and prepare kindling. I learned how to quickly start a fire in a woodstove and keep it going.

When I graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986 I moved to Asheville, NC where I’ve been living since. The last time I saw the cabin was in 2000 and it looked good but no one was living in it. I’ve been trying to contact the folks who owned the land (they now live in FL). I want to go back up for a visit. The roofing material I used was simple asphalt roll roofing. When the roof goes then the cabin will quickly collapse. Not sure how long roll roofing can last.

Below are a few of Tom’s photos and you can view all his photos on his picasa web page.