The Above video is a restoration of the original dogtrot, log home that the client’s great-great-grandfather built with his own hands, with the assistance of itinerant craftsmen, when he moved to Texas in 1856. This vintage structure consists of two cabins (pens) separated by an open passageway (dog-run or dogtrot), with a continuous gable roof covering both cabins and the passageway between them.  The porch extends across the entire front of the house and, the passage between the two pens, was enclosed by screens.  A lean-to shed, was constructed at the rear of each cabin for a kitchen and bathroom. This type of shed was often an addition to these 19th century Texas log homes.  The structure was disassembled and moved to the family ranch near Tyler, Texas, and was completed in late summer of 2009.

Preservation Texas announced the 2011 recipients of its annual Honor Awards for Preservation. The annual honor awards program “recognizes historic preservation that inspires all Texans and encourages us in our efforts to protect the historic resources of Texas.” Susan and Josiah Daniel enlisted Texas architect, Stephen Chambers, AIA, to rehabilitate a family treasure, an 1856 Dogtrot Log Home. The home was carefully disassembled from its location near Corsicana, reassembled and placed on the Smith Farm near Tyler to be used as a guest house for the family ranch, also designed by Stephen B. Chambers Architects, Inc.
The vintage timber frame dog trot home (two-pen) was beautifully restored by Heritage Restorations near Waco, Texas. Heritage locates, dismantles, restores, and re-erects 18th and 19th century timber frame barns, hand-hewn log cabins, gristmills, and other historic buildings.

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