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Matsell Cottage HABS No. IL-1184 Northwest Corner of Township Road 229 and Illinois Route 1 Brownsville Vicinity Carmi Township it AGO. White County VlH£X> Illinois -£LL PHOTOGRAPHS WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA Historic American Buildings Survey National Park Service Rocky Mountain Regional Office Department of the Interior P.O. Box 25287 Denver, Colorado 80225 HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY MATSELL COTTAGE HABS NO. IL-11S4 Location: Approximately 1.8 miles northeast of Brownsville, Illinois, which is located on Illinois Route 1 (between Carmi and Norris City) in Section 28 of Carmi Township, White County, Illinois USGS Carmi, Illinois, Quadrangle Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates 16.392660.4212800 Present Owner: State of Illinois Department of Transportation 400 W. Wabash Ave. Effingham, Illinois 62401 Present Occupant: None Present Use: Vacant Statement of Significance: The Matsell Cottage apparently dates to the 1850s. It is one of only two known nineteenth century log houses still standing in "White County. As an example of a simple variety of the traditional Midland Log House, the cottage has "only a single room-sized square or (rectangular) unit called (a 'pen') with a loft area above used for sIeeping....Framed additions and porches" of the MatseU Cottage are also typical, "added to the log house as local sawmills provided nearby sources of cut lumber" [1]. The Matsell Cottage apparently represents an example of what is referred to as a second generation type of log house. These continued The tradition of building with horizontal log waHs...in many areas long after cut timber was locally available. Usually a framework of roughly squared and notched logs was constructed to be originally covered with shingles or weatherboard" [2]. The cottage also derives significance from its function as an early residence of a pioneer Carmi township farm family who arrived in an early wave of non-Native American settlement of White county that ran from the eighteen-teens through the early 1840s. The cottage continued to serve modest income families until the 1980s with relatively little negative impact to the integrity of its basic original construction. PARTI. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: !• DateiV) of Erection: The actual date of erection is unknown, but a number of clues suggest that the cottage was built in the 1850s. The United States Government Land Office Survey map of the area in 1851 shows no structure on the Carmi townslup property acquired by Henry Matsell in 1853 [3]. A post-1850 construction date also finds support from the circular saw marks on the floor framing, roof framing, and floor boards. The marks indicate a circular saw of about 5' MATSELL COTTAGE HABS NO. IL-1184 Page 2 diameter, a tool unavailable until the 1850s. [4]. (However, inspection of the cottage could not rule out the possibility that those sawn elements could have replaced originals when the house was moved in the 1920s [5] [see Part LB].) By 1860, the William Matsell family was recorded living at the cottage site [6], most likely in the Matsell Cottage [7]. Henry Matsell's grandchildren indicated that the cottage was at least fifty years old in 1914 [8], tending to confirm a construction date prior to 1865. 2. Architect: Not known—in all probability, an architect was not involved. 3. Original and Subsequent Owners: Henry Matsell - (property owner - March 1853-65) Elizabeth W. Ferguson (Miller) - (1865-1905) Clarice Miller (Ferguson) - (1905-14) George and Cora B. Poshard - (1914-59) Arnold L. Poshard - (1959-80) Franklin D. Mecum (nephew of Arnold Poshard) - (1980 to April 14,1992) Illinois Department of Transportation - (April 14, 1992-present) 4. Builders. Contractors, and Suppliers: Possibly built by Henry C Matsell as residence for his own family or for "William Matsell (relationship unknown) (see also Part LB - Historical Context). 5. Original Plans and Construction: No information has been found regarding original plans. 6. Alterations and Additions: Terry Youngblood, a planning engineer with the Department of Transportation, reported in 1993 that some relatives felt that the cabin may have been reconstructed in the 1860s using logs and materials from a cabin at another site [9]. This is possible, as the floor framing, roof framing, and the floor boards are "radially sawn" using a very large (approximately 5' diameter) saw blade which technically was not available until the 1850s [10]. However, the logs themselves seem to be from an earlier period log cabin as the end joints on the toj£ do not fit exactly or were not cut carefully. This suggests that they may have been put back together in a different pattern and/or that the construction had been intended to be covered with clapboard siding [11]. The upper log at the stair opening also has a joist notch which would not have been needed if the stair opening (even smaller than presently existing) were there, and there does not appear to be any other filled in location for another stairs. In 1925 or 1926 the cabin was moved approximately 43' southeasterly from the original site to its present location to avoid highway construction [12]. It is possible that the floor joists and flooring materials were replaced at that time. The shed (half gabled) front porch appears to be a more recent addition as it was constructed with salvaged materials fastened with wire nails. There is also painted clapboard siding and two loft level windows still apparent in the front porch attic space and there is evidence of a step or sidewalk in front of the house bearing no relationship to the existing door onto the porch. MATSELL COTTAGE HABS NO. IL-11S4 Page 3 The kitchen wing or addition appears to have been part of the original cabin, which was originally covered with clapboard siding painted white. This siding is continuous over the joint between the log structure and the kitchen wing. In addition, the logs above the kitchen ceiling are not now covered with clapboards and there is no evidence of nail holes for either clapboards or furring strips. This indicates that this area was originally covered by a roof structure similar to the present roof above the kitchen. It is also possible that this kitchen addition may have been rebuilt when the cabin was moved in the 1920s based on the fact that this shed (half gabled) addition is attached to the cabin with wire nails [13]. Although this room has no plumbing, it appears that a waste water drain to the ground outside was located along the east wall near the southeast corner. A 2" diameter hole exists through the wall near the floor and there are several towel rack devices attached to the east wall above this hole. It also appears that a cook stove (wood burning based on soot observations in the flue) was located along the south wall, east of the door to the main room where the flue could attach to the chimney. A small closet was constructed in the southwest corner, indicating that this same room may also have served as a bedroom. A toilet paper holder is mounted in the northeast corner on the north wall, indicating that this may have been the location of a chamber pot, as there is no other plumbing, and the apparent location for the outhouse was about 100' to the east [14]. Both the north and south additions have wood shingles (not shakes) similar in appearance, size, and condition to the main cabin roof, indicating that this work was done at the same time. These have then been covered with asphalt shingle roofing over asphalt felt paper on the north side of the ridge and heavy roll roofing over asphalt paper on the south side of the ridge. The cabin appears to have been sided four times. The furring strips upon which the siding had been nailed were attached with cut nails. Empty nail holes were evident on the furring strips suggesting that at least one layer of siding had been removed prior to the existing siding. Attached to the furring strips was a layer of pine clapboarding plus two layers of asphalt sheet type siding [15]. The interior appeared in 1992 to have been redecorated several times [16] (See also Part II.C - Description of Interior). A large cistern lined with stone existed within 10' of the northwest corner adjacent to the north shed building. Frank Mecum stated that he drained the cistern, demolished the concrete top and filled the cistern with gravel several years ago. A depression in the ground exists at the cistern location [17]. B. Historical Context: John Drury, in his book Old Illinois Houses, stated that it is possible to find traces of pioneer southerners, here and there an old plantation-style house with white columns, gardens, wrought iron balconies, etc, but "rarely are found the rough-hewn logs and shakes that sheltered those who made the first clearings" [18]. John Crow built a log house in Carmi in the second decade of the nineteenth century which was covered with clapboards. This house served as a temporary courthouse and was later purchased and modified by General John M. Robinson, who was prominent in Illinois and U.S. politics, and still exists. The Robinson House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places [19]. MATSELL COTTAGE HABS NO. IL-1184 Page 4 The Matsell Cottage, on the other hand, more typically represents the less prominent and wealthy of the pioneers—those who cleared and worked the land. The earliest traceable date of settlement in White County is 1806, and by 1809 there were several families living in the county, with most families settling on or near the Wabash River or on the prairie areas [20].

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