Forbes House Plans Lincoln Cabin Restoration Weekend

will hold a two-day Lincoln cabin restoration project on Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29. The roof of the 1924 structure will be repaired and the chinking on the cabin’s south wall will be replaced.

Anthony DiOrio, of Bearfort Lodge, New Jersey, a historic builder and expert in log cabins, will lead a team of volunteers, staff, and FHM Lincoln Committee members and trustees in this historic activity.

“The cabin will receive, in effect, a double roof,” says DiOrio.  The under layer will protect the structure, the exterior layer will provide esthetic beauty and historic context.”

Chinking is a clay mortar that sits in between the hewn logs, insulating the cabin walls. The FHM Murdock cabin will benefit from a chinking recipe created by DiOrio, consisting of cement, sand and coloring dye, among other ingredients.

“The idea is to protect a structure that normally would be living in a milder climate with mild winters. We have devised a plan to protect this cabin, fated for long New England winters,” says DiOrio.

The Museum invites volunteers who may be interested in joining the effort, especially those with carpentry, roofing or masonry skills. They are urged to call the Museum to learn more about the project.

The volunteer team includes Tom and Frances (Murdock) McGauley of Stoughton, MA, who have been planning the restoration project for several months along with FHM Executive Director, Robin Tagliaferri. Mrs. McGauley is a great grand niece of the builder of the cabin.

The FHM Lincoln Cabin was built by Dorchester native Thomas Murdock, who ventured in 1923 to Hodgenville, KY, the location of the original Lincoln birth place cabin. He obtained the exact 16 x 18 ft. specifications to build a replica in Milton. The construction was commissioned and financed by Mary Bowditch Forbes (1878- 1962), descendant of China Trade merchants, who collected President Lincoln and Civil War memorabilia for 50 years.

Upon its completion, Ms. Forbes held celebrations on an annual basis at the cabin; citizens of Milton and Greater Boston, Civil War veterans, celebrities, and local school children were invited on site for speeches, hot cider and donuts.

FHM continues Forbes’ tradition by sponsoring an annual Lincoln Day in February and the Lincoln Essay & Drawing Contest.

Recently, the FHM hosted a family reunion of descendants of Thomas Murdock, many who worked along side the practical, hard-working carpenter. Murdock family members still live in homes in Milton and Dorchester built or renovated by Murdock. They provided great insight into Murdock’s personality and life history.

For more information on the Lincoln cabin restoration project, call the Museum at 617- 696- 1815. For more information on Anthony DiOrio, visit his website at http://www.bearfortlodge.com/.

For more information on FHM programs, events, membership or groups tours, visit the website atwww.forbeshousemuseum.org.

The above release was provided by Robin M. Tagliaferri, Executive Director, Forbes House Museum.