A Brief History Lesson

I promise this will be the last post about the Island for a week or so.  I didn't have a picture of the completed end wall over the fireplace when I wrote last night's blog post, so here it is:

The left-hand window hasn't been trimmed in pine yet, but I like the contrast so much that, once it is, I'm going to stain them both a darker walnut color to match the beams.  Everything else will just receive a clear coat to protect it from darkening too quickly.

I've been asked about the cabin's history as a dance hall, which I mentioned in my last post.  To be honest, I don't know much of that history myself, but from what I do know, prior owners (back around the turn of the last century, when the camp was still private) moved a piano out there over the ice one winter.  Over the summer, when friends and acquaintances would stay for weeks at a time, they held dances and other social gatherings on the Island.  As far as I know, the fireplace is original to the cabin, but I don't know if the loft is as well.  I wouldn't be surprised if the original floor plan was completely open (better for dancing), and the loft was a later addition as the cabin was renovated to accommodate sleeping and cooking.

I also don't know what ever happened to the piano; I assume it came back across the pond some subsequent winter.