Fly Tyers hear about museum cabin
Bella Vista Historical Society president Xyta Lucas shared the story of a century-old cabin now sitting on the museum grounds with the Bella Vista Fly Tyers last week.
The Settler’s Cabin will be open for tours when the museum reopens, though right now the facility is closed because of covid-19 concerns, she explained.
But getting it there has been a long road, starting with its construction estimated in 1912 based on property records and analysis of core samples, she said.
Originally the oak cabin, built by a Christopher Columbus Cooper — unrelated to both the infamous Spaniard and Cooper Communities — sat near the intersection of what is now Highlands Boulevard and Glasgow Road, she told the anglers.
In the 1970s, Cooper Communities was developing the area and intended to demolish it, but Paul Parish, a history aficionado and self-taught wood sculptor brought it to his Pease Drive residence after taking it down piece by piece. The components were numbered so he could properly reassemble it, Lucas explained.
“He thought that old cabin would be ideal to stand in his back yard as an art studio,” she said.
The current homeowner, Scott Butler, agreed to donate the cabin in 2018, and historical society members started looking at whether it would be feasible to move the century-old structure to the museum.
With an anonymous $4,000 donation and an ambitious house mover, the historical society was able to get the building moved.
The slope leading down to the structure, coupled with a tree that workers had to struggle not to destroy, made it a difficult, nearly-four-day process — though once the cabin was out of the ravine, it went smoothly, she said.
“Once he got it up to the surface of the street, it took him 20 minutes to get it to the museum,” she said.
It was set on a concrete block foundation and stonework was added to hide the blocks, she explained.
Since then, the museum has worked on furnishing the former Highlands home, spending a total of roughly $21,000 on the structure between moving it, building the foundation and furnishing it, Lucas said.
“It is now truly furnished,” she said.
Fly tyers president Ed Limehouse said he was glad to have Lucas presenting to the group.
“Always good to hear about the history of where we live,” he said.
Club member Tom Diepenbrock said he’s familiar with the museum and Lucas’ work and he has worked with the museum in the past.
“Awesome lady, totally awesome,” he said.