Old building materials from Tennessee and Virginia as diverse as logs from a log cabin, stones from an inn, heart of pine from a demolished building, salvaged wood from a barn, and tobacco poles from a curing house were all gathered together to construct Paul and Mary Jane Kelly’s 20th-century log cabin on Monteagle Mountain. Considering that many of the furnishings in the cabin have been in Paul and Mary Jane’s families for generations, and some of the “new” furniture is also made from old materials, you could say a large percentage of their cabin is actually “recycled.”
Construction of the log cabin was a family collaboration from the beginning. Scott Kelley, who is married to the Kelly’s daughter, Woo, oversaw construction of the cabin. Scott and Dan Robinson, who is married to another Kelly daughter, Ferris, own Walden Log Homes.
The Kelly’s cabin sits on a picturesque brow of Monteagle Mountain overlooking a beautiful valley and mountains in the Foster Falls and Fiery Gizzard areas. Situated on 100 acres, their home is surrounded by pine trees, oak trees, magnolias, wild azaleas, hollies and rhododendrons.
Approaching the house from the long, winding driveway, you first come upon a beautiful little lake before the house comes into view. The lake was created from a natural depression fed by a spring and runoff water. It has since been stocked with bass, catfish and brim and is a favorite spot for swimming, fishing and canoeing for Paul and Mary Jane’s children and grandchildren. A lakeside gazebo and deck were added and are perfect spots to catch a lingering view of mountain sunsets.
The house itself was constructed from logs salvaged from an 18th century log cabin discovered by Scott in Pulaski, Tennessee. Paul and Mary Jane say they feel fortunate to have found the cabin, as original log cabins are becoming more and more difficult to find.
The dimensions of the original cabin were enlarged to widen the main house and allow for the addition of the kitchen and bedroom wings. No sheetrock was used in the construction as the bare, rustic logs were used for inside and outside walls. The outside corners of the house were assembled using dovetail joints. The foundation of the house was constructed of hand hewn stone from an inn that served an old stagecoach route that ran over the mountain. The inn eventually burned and the stones were all that remained. The house has a steep gabled tin roof and stacked stone steps that lead to a welcoming red front door.
The inside, as well as the outside of the cabin, give few clues that the cabin was constructed in the 20th century – it could have easily been of the same generation as the old stagecoach inn. Amenities such as heating, air conditioning, electricity and “indoor plumbing” are really the only evidence of modern living.
The cabin is furnished largely from furniture originally belonging to Paul and Mary Jane’s parents and from pieces they had when they were first married. Heart of pine from the old Rock-Tenn Building in Chattanooga was used for the floors and the beamed ceilings. Doors were constructed from salvaged barn wood and have handles made from mountain laurel branches.
The two-story main level, with a beamed cathedral ceiling and open floor plan, contains the living and dining areas. The living area is grouped around a two-story stacked stone wood burning fireplace, flanked by two large windows, French doors and clerestory windows.
A clock that has been in Paul’s family for generations sits on the wood beam mantle and is surrounded by brass candlesticks that belonged to both Paul and Mary Jane’s mothers. Attached to the front of the mantle is an old rifle given to Paul by his friend, the late Dr. Butch Hunt.
A kindling bucket that sits on the stone hearth – carved from a single piece of wood – was a present from Paul and Mary Jane’s son, Buzz, who found it in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Two ox-blood ceramic lamp bases that sit at either end of the sofa, one on a drop leaf oak table and the other on a small writing desk, were both sent by Buzz from Paris. Buzz, an interior designer, lives in New York and has been featured in House and Garden magazine.
The dining area, situated between the living area and kitchen, has a long dining table constructed from old pine. Surrounding the table are ladder back and cane seat dining chairs that were in Mary Jane’s family. Over the dining table is a large round iron chandelier made by Mark Dwyer. Also in the dining area is an old Welsh pine cupboard used as a bookshelf.
The kitchen is located downstairs in the right wing of the house. Above a small bar that separates the dining area from the kitchen hangs an old ox yoke. The walls, a dark antique finished green, contrast beautifully with the golden pine countertops with a tung oil finish. The cabinets are topped with flat bracketed cornices and display various shaped and sized baskets, as well as decorative pieces. A center island houses the stove and also has countertop space for food preparation and entertaining. Just off the kitchen is a walk-in pantry/laundry room.
The opposite wing of the main level contains the master bedroom and bath. Pegged into the wall, a four poster tester bed made from tobacco posts dominates the cozy room. Red toile fabric is used for the bed pillows, dust ruffle, drapery behind the head posts, and window draperies. Two chests of drawers serve as end tables, one from the 19th century and the other a family piece. A cream-colored sofa and chair in the room belonged to Paul’s parents and were purchased in 1926 when they first married. Two double-door closets are made from salvaged barn wood and lined with cedar from trees that had blown down on the property.
In the master bath, as well as in the other bathrooms, the cabinets, sinks and tub are white, as are the ceilings between the heart pine beams, to offset the darker wood colors of the beams and logs.
The rails and banister of the stairway leading to the upstairs loft and bedrooms were made from tobacco poles from Virginia. The poles are naturally smooth from years of tobacco leaves being draped over them as part of the curing process. The sitting area in the loft at the top of the stairs has a wooden railing and looks down into the living room below.
There are two bedrooms and baths upstairs. One serves as the “grandbabies room,” with two matching beds that have been painted a cream color and covered with matching cream-colored quilts. Colorful quilted pillows and blankets are used as accents. The chest of drawers, end tables and chair came from Paul and Mary Jane’s families. A step leads up to a long, narrow bathroom with an angled ceiling.
The second upstairs bedroom is furnished with a four poster bed made from old pine. Folded at the end of the bed is a red and off-white quilt, a “very old” family piece, according to Mary Jane. There is also a pine cabinet with leaded glass doors and a stained glass center panel. An upholstered love seat, nestled in a large bay window, offers sweeping views of the mountains in the distance.
At the rear of the house, near the edge of the brow, is a covered wooden deck that flows into a section that juts out over the brow. Part of the deck was built around an oak tree, which was spared and stands in the center. The deck is furnished with white Adirondack furniture – a table, chairs and swing – crafted by John Thomas, a local woodworker. Over the table hangs a three-tiered candle chandelier. A sign that reads “Mt. Eagle” – a play on “Monteagle” – was made by Paul and Mary Jane’s son-in-law, Scott Kelley. High back rocking chairs rest comfortably on the deck for rocking a lazy afternoon away or enjoying a good book.
The soft wind blowing through the trees and the majestic splendor that Mother Nature has to offer provides a quiet retreat on Monteagle Mountain. Whether sitting on the back deck taking in views of the valley below, and mountains beyond, or the lakeside deck enjoying late afternoon sunsets, there is a sense of peacefulness and wonder at the Kelly cabin.