In 1968, Harry and Doris Rink were in a search of a house for their family. Their mission was completed when they bought a log cabin in Greenwich Township in New Jersey. However, instead of buying just a regular house, the couple actually purchased a significant historical landmark. They got the oldest log cabin in the USA.
The cabin, named Nothnagle Log House, was built in 1640. The structure was expanded in 1730, and another reconstruction was done in 1900. This log house is mainly made of oak logs. What’s even more significant, the house is nearby Fort Billings, the famous Revolutionary War landmark. The records now show that the house is the oldest log cabin in the country and it’s older than the county itself.
Today the Rinks enjoy their lives in this unique place. They do not hesitate to organize visiting tours around the property and show to the people the value of this fascinating place. Nevertheless, since they are old, Harry being 88 and Doris 75 years old, the owners of the log started thinking about the future of the cabin after their death.
The Risks started looking for the perfect buyer of the log cabin. Having in mind the important historic value of the house, they have some additional conditions for the future purchaser. The couple hopes that the future owner of the log cabin should take care of the whole property and keep the authenticity of the log cabin.
In the meantime, the couple keeps organizing visiting tours. Every year thousands of people come and see the house. They can see how was people’s life 300 years ago. They see rare everyday objects and living areas equipped with unique furniture.
The house is estimated at a price of $2.9 million. However, the future purchaser might give more than 2.9 million because this price does not include the artefacts of the house. As Christina Huang, a local realtor, says:
“Because of all the artefacts and antiques that come with the house, it is probably worth well over $2.9 million.”
That’s quite true. The artefacts of the house are mostly from 17th and 18th century. These pieces of furniture, like chairs, tables or chests, are very rare and provide excellent opportunity to see old way of living.
Additionally, the house contains some valuable and rare household items. There are some rare and old dishware, plates, hats and bottles. The couple finds artefacts on the property on regular basis. Regarding this, Doris explains:
“A lot of things that were buried many years ago have wound up turning up in the yard. Every single item in the cabin is an artefact or antique. There is nothing else out there like this place.”
The Rinks want to preserve the unique architecture and the true historic layout of the log cabin. They maintain the house for years in order to keep the original look of the cabin.
In order to keep the authenticity of the house, they use authentic building techniques. They use clay and mud as building materials. They also fix the cracks in the log. The house has given them a rare opportunity to feel the
18th century lifestyle.
Doris explains:
“Knowing the history of their day-to-day survival really makes me grateful that we have the life that we have now. I think our visitors take a step back in time when they enter our house. When they take a step in here, it’s like they’re in a different world. They block out everything else that’s going on in their lives.”