Picking up the trail, once again
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The Watkins Cemetery project lay dormant over the next several years while other cemeteries in Chatt Hills were researched and recorded. Then in early 2018, the project was resurrected.
After learning that Dr. Rhoades had passed away in 2010 after a brave fight with pancreatic cancer, I contacted his daughter Daniella Adams who now owns and manages the family farm with her husband James. Daniella confirmed that the Watkins cabin was still standing and in good shape, and invited us for a visit. As we toured the Watkins cabin Daniella did her best to share the history of the project, but she said she had been quite young when her father brought the cabins to the farm. She recalled how the log cabin project had been a labor of love for her father and how his vision had been to one day make the historic cabins accessible to the public. She said she’s concerned for the future of the log cabins because with her responsibilities of running the farm and raising a family – she has a baby on the way – she doesn’t have the resources to make that dream happen. |
Daniella Rhoades Adams gave us a tour of the Watkins log cabin at her Grove Creek Farm in Crawford, GA
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Daniella said that several of the eight cabins on her property have fallen into disrepair and she worries that time will take a toll on these historic relics. With that Carole and I shared a quick glance and I could tell we were thinking the same thing.
I asked Daniella if she would ever consider an offer to purchase and relocate the Watkins cabin back to Chattahoochee Hills. She seemed to mull that question over for a long moment, considering out loud how her father would have felt about that. She said, “I think dad would have been more about preserving the log cabin for others to enjoy and to learn about its history, than about where the cabin was actually located.” I asked for her permission to run the idea by our mayor and others who could potentially support such as project, and she agreed.
The Watkins cabin is still in relatively good shape. When it was relocated to the farm, it was placed on a new foundation, some new logs were added where old ones were missing or deteriorated beyond repair, and a new roof was added. Inside the cabin, there are some mason jar lids nailed to the walls that mark the original location of the logs. A new staircase has been added to the loft, and the loft has been restored with new wood where needed. The cabin is currently being used for storage, but as far as Daniella knows, none of the historic items inside are from the original log cabin.
Photos of the Watkins log cabin in its present state are in the Watkins Photo Gallery and there is a history of the Watkins family provided from several different sources -- both on the links below. The property owner of the Watkins Cemetery has been contacted again for assistance in locating the grave sites.
I asked Daniella if she would ever consider an offer to purchase and relocate the Watkins cabin back to Chattahoochee Hills. She seemed to mull that question over for a long moment, considering out loud how her father would have felt about that. She said, “I think dad would have been more about preserving the log cabin for others to enjoy and to learn about its history, than about where the cabin was actually located.” I asked for her permission to run the idea by our mayor and others who could potentially support such as project, and she agreed.
The Watkins cabin is still in relatively good shape. When it was relocated to the farm, it was placed on a new foundation, some new logs were added where old ones were missing or deteriorated beyond repair, and a new roof was added. Inside the cabin, there are some mason jar lids nailed to the walls that mark the original location of the logs. A new staircase has been added to the loft, and the loft has been restored with new wood where needed. The cabin is currently being used for storage, but as far as Daniella knows, none of the historic items inside are from the original log cabin.
Photos of the Watkins log cabin in its present state are in the Watkins Photo Gallery and there is a history of the Watkins family provided from several different sources -- both on the links below. The property owner of the Watkins Cemetery has been contacted again for assistance in locating the grave sites.