Long ago, a log cabin home was a pioneer family's first shelter. In time, as the family grew and prospered, a new home might be built. In this case, the new home, built in 1840, was a frame structure. Our ancestors, being very frugal, often recycled their old cabin. In this case, it was used as a cookhouse. You'd think the log chimney would be a fire hazzard. However, the split wood veneer you can see actually housed a fire-hardened, mud-lined inner flue. This type of chimney construction was very common in Jamestown, Plymouth, Quebec, Montreal and other settlements of the 17th century. Cooking was a big job in the 17th and 18th centuries as families were usually large and additional hired hands might be needed at certain times of the year to care for livestock, clear land, tend fields and harvest crops. Nearly everything in the kitchen was made from scratch daily.Ummm, I can almost smell the fresh baked bread!