Greg and Stephanie Shoulders wanted something different the second time around. No, this is not their first Honest Abe home, it is their second. They had built an Honest Abe Log Home years be-fore, and had really enjoyed the log home lifestyle and experience. For their next house they knew they wanted to make some changes and really make this one their own.

When they came to the Murfrees-boro, Tennessee office, they knew they wanted to build a Timber Frame home. They liked the idea of the Timber Frame because they had more options for the exterior and interior of the home. On the exte-rior, they planned to incorporate a fair amount of stone and other rustic elements into the design.

The floor plan they brought in was their own. Greg had drawn up a rough draft and after sitting down

with Greg and Stephanie to tweak the plan a bit, we had a design they were happy with. The home is around 2,400 square feet over a full basement. They have three boys, so they needed room for them to grow. The house has Honest Abe’s

Heavy Timber roof sys-tem that nicely com-pliments the post and beam system of the Timber Frame as well as the exposed ceiling beams of the second floor.

When they built their log home they bought the package from Honest Abe, and had a third-party contractor construct it. For the Timber Frame, they

knew they wanted Honest Abe to do the dry-in labor. For this, Honest Abe sent Darrell

Elliot, who has been doing dry-in labor on log and timber frame houses for years. The Shoulders were very pleased with the job Dar-rell and his crew did.

The house has some very unique features. The floors are reclaimed

Making It Their OwnMarch 2011

barn wood that Greg picked up as far away as Kentucky. He would shop around and buy what he could whenever he could find it. He even found a little bit of American Chestnut that he

used for the floor in the entry way. The spindles for his handrails are cedar limbs that he cut from their property. The exte-rior of the house is stone and cedar lap siding. They even used cedar lap siding for some of the interior walls in the house. A nice touch was the carport, they built it to look like the heavy timber roof system with the exposed rafters and 2x6 tongue and groove. It is open on the sides, and gives a

good preview of what to expect on the inside of the house.

Greg is a landscaper by trade and has done a very nice job with landscaping this house. He has used rock for his retaining walls, and to step down the grade in the front yard. It compli-ments the stone on the house very well. Greg and Stephanie have definitely made this house their home by putting in so many personal touches.Article by: Dan Smith, Sales Representative of Honest Abe Log Homes

March 2011

Join Us For A Log Raising!These demonstrations allow you to see first-hand how an Honest Abe Log Home is built. We’ll show you how to stack the log walls, install beams and ceiling, and apply the roof system. Tour our manufacturing facility, and have the opportunity to speak with the people involved throughout the process. Hon-est Abe staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

So join us at our National Headquarters in Moss, Tennessee on March 19, 2011. Seating is limited, so please call for more information and reservations at 800-231-3695.

View a YouTube preview by clickingbelow!

These photos are of a custom home being con-structed by Hutchcraft Log Homes of Canon City, Colorado. Owners, Ray and Linda Hutch-craft, are Independent Dealers of Honest Abe Log Homes.

This is considered a hybrid home, meaning a combination of building systems are used to construct the residence. First, Honest Abe’s RuStick Series is used, utilizing conventional 2x6 “stick-framed” construction and insulation. The RuStick Series conventional framing is covered with weather wrap and typically faced with log siding, or in the case of this project, cedar lap siding. The second and more unique system is Honest Abe’s Big Sky series which introduces 10-inch round log purlins and trusses into the roof design of the home.

This home was custom de-signed and built for Keith and Jennifer Walsh. The skilled craftsmanship for building and assembly was provided by Ray and Linda Hutchcraft and their crew. This project is finishing up beautifully.

Under Construction: The Walsh Home

March 2011

Article by: David Everitt, Regional Dealer Manager of Honest Abe Log Homes

Home of the Month:ShilohThe Shiloh is yet another one of Honest Abe Log Home’s new models that will appear in our upcoming floor plan catalog due out in May. Consisting of only one story, it accommodates the now frequent request of our customers to eliminate the need to go up-and-down stairs.

While the plan is a modest 1,128 square feet, it has a lot to offer to those only needing one bedroom. A walk-in pantry, walk-in closet and double vanities in the master bath are features normally only found in larger homes. A half-bath is located off of the foyer for guests, and a utility room.

This is a great floor plan as a vacation or invest-ment property. It can also serve well as a retire-ment get-a-way. This is just one of many floor plans available through Honest Abe Log Homes. Talk to your sales representative to find out how to see more.

March 2011

March 2011

Chocolate Gravy? Before you turn your nose up at this recipe, give it a chance. Chocolate gravy seems to be a regional deli-cacy to the Middle-Tennessee area. There are many variations of this dish. I had always used Grandma’s method using a little of this and a pinch of that, so I Ingredients:1 Cup Sugar2 Tbsp Flour3/4 Cup Milk

1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

Mix dry ingredients in sauce pan. Pour in milk while stirring. Con-tinue stirring over medium heat. At the first sign of a boil, reduce

heat to medium-low and continue stirring. Cook until chocolate

gravy reaches desired thickness. Add or reduce sugar, flour or cocoa

to taste.

had never actually measured out the ingredients until now. Growing up, my family always made it with little to no flour, which made more of a choco-late syrup than gravy. My wife’s family used much more flour and not as much sugar, creating a consistency more like true gravy. To try and please everyone, we’ve come up with our own balance of ingredients to give us some-thing in the middle of the two. I always have to dare people to

try chocolate gravy, and then they find out they love it. So, here it goes, I dare you! Pour it over biscuits and add butter to taste!Receipe by: Joshua Beasley, Director of Advertising for Honest

Abe Log Homes

Eastern White PineHonest Abe Log Homes started out manufacturing log homes with the Poplar species of logs. However the Poplar was difficult to work with, checked (or split) excessively, twisted and warped. Other wood species were tried, but Eastern White Pine proved to be the wood with the most favorable characteristics. Eastern White Pine does not shrink or swell excessively with changes in mois-ture. It is also known for its superior stability, light weight and thermal-mass insulating properties. Due to the superior characteristics of East-ern White Pine, this is Honest Abe’s choice of wood species to use for our log wall and porch systems.Article by: Rachel Meadows, Sales Manager for Honest Abe Log Homes

6x12 Dovetail D-Log Corner Section of a Log Wall - Eastern White Pine