Slabsides
Encyclopedia
Slabsides is the log cabin
built by naturalist John Burroughs
and his son on a nine-acre (3.6 ha) wooded and hilly tract in 1895 one mile (1.6 km) east of Riverby
, his home in West Park
, New York
. From the time of its construction to the last year of his life, he received many visitors here, ranging from Theodore Roosevelt
and Henry Ford
to students from Vassar College
, just across the Hudson River
.
, perched on the west side of a hill in the wooded John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary. There is no direct access by motor vehicle; to reach it, visitors must park on the gravel road up the hill and follow a gated logging road slightly downhill, then level, roughly 0.3 mile (500 m) to the cabin.
"Far and Near". "It is reduced to simpler terms; its complex equations all disappear." The name "Slabsides" came from the rough bark
-covered lumber strips covering its outer walls. "I might have given it a prettier name, but not one more fit, of more in keeping with the mood that brought me thither". Much of the cabin remains as he and his son built it, including the red cedar
posts holding up the porch
.
After his death in 1921, the property was presented to the John Burroughs Association
, which had just been formed to preserve his legacy. When nearby logging
operations and proposed development threatened the property in the mid-1960s, the association purchased the properties with money raised from supporters. This has resulted in an expansion of the property into the 170 acre (68 ha) John Burroughs Sanctuary. The cabin was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1968,, joining Riverby
and Woodchuck Lodge
as Burroughs-associated properties carrying that designation.
trail
s have been constructed for visitors to enjoy for themselves the woods that inspired Burroughs. The sanctuary is open year-round.
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
built by naturalist John Burroughs
John Burroughs
John Burroughs was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the U.S. conservation movement. According to biographers at the American Memory project at the Library of Congress,...
and his son on a nine-acre (3.6 ha) wooded and hilly tract in 1895 one mile (1.6 km) east of Riverby
Riverby
Riverby was the estate of American naturalist John Burroughs 1837-1921, who wrote and created a genre of naturalist essays. Riverby is also the title of one of John Burrough's books, published in 1904, and is also the name of an edition of his collected works...
, his home in West Park
Esopus, New York
Esopus is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 9,331 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the local Indian tribe and means "high banks."...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. From the time of its construction to the last year of his life, he received many visitors here, ranging from Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
and Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
to students from Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, just across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
Building and site
Slabsides is a simple one-story log cabin with an open living/dining/kitchen/study area and a bedroom that can be partitioned off. It is located in a relatively low stretch of the Marlboro MountainsMarlboro Mountains
The Marlboro Mountains, sometimes Marlborough Mountains, are a group of hogbacked mountains arranged in a 25 mile long ridge extending from Newburgh, New York to just south of Kingston, New York. Considered to be part of the Ridge and Valley Appalachians, the mountains, which reach elevations...
, perched on the west side of a hill in the wooded John Burroughs Nature Sanctuary. There is no direct access by motor vehicle; to reach it, visitors must park on the gravel road up the hill and follow a gated logging road slightly downhill, then level, roughly 0.3 mile (500 m) to the cabin.
History
"Life has a different flavor here", Burroughs wrote of the cabin in his essayEssay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
"Far and Near". "It is reduced to simpler terms; its complex equations all disappear." The name "Slabsides" came from the rough bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
-covered lumber strips covering its outer walls. "I might have given it a prettier name, but not one more fit, of more in keeping with the mood that brought me thither". Much of the cabin remains as he and his son built it, including the red cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
posts holding up the porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
.
After his death in 1921, the property was presented to the John Burroughs Association
John Burroughs Association
The John Burroughs Association was founded in 1921 to commemorate the life and works of author/naturalist John Burroughs . Administered out of offices at the American Museum of Natural History, the Association owns the John Burroughs Sanctuary at West Park, in the town of Esopus, New York...
, which had just been formed to preserve his legacy. When nearby logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
operations and proposed development threatened the property in the mid-1960s, the association purchased the properties with money raised from supporters. This has resulted in an expansion of the property into the 170 acre (68 ha) John Burroughs Sanctuary. The cabin was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1968,, joining Riverby
Riverby
Riverby was the estate of American naturalist John Burroughs 1837-1921, who wrote and created a genre of naturalist essays. Riverby is also the title of one of John Burrough's books, published in 1904, and is also the name of an edition of his collected works...
and Woodchuck Lodge
Woodchuck Lodge
Woodchuck Lodge, also known as John Burroughs Memorial State Historic Site is in Roxbury in the western Catskills of Delaware County, New York, was a summertime home of naturalist John Burroughs. He is buried here, at the foot of a rock on which he played as a child...
as Burroughs-associated properties carrying that designation.
Access
To reach the cabin, visitors must park at the base of the road to it on Burroughs Drive and walk up a half-mile (800 m). The cabin itself, furnished exactly as it was when Burroughs left it, is only open to visitors twice a year, from noon to 4:30 p.m. on the third Saturday in May and the first one in October. HikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
trail
Trail
A trail is a path with a rough beaten or dirt/stone surface used for travel. Trails may be for use only by walkers and in some places are the main access route to remote settlements...
s have been constructed for visitors to enjoy for themselves the woods that inspired Burroughs. The sanctuary is open year-round.