Oak Ridge’s oldest structure recognized with historical sign

Posted at 11:31 am November 8, 2019
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Freels-Bend-Cabin-Historical-Marker-Oct-20-2019 — Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith

Note: This story was updated at 12:30 p.m.

The Freels Bend Cabin, Oak Ridge’s oldest structure, was recognized with a historical sign in October.

The historical sign by the Tennessee Historical Commission said the Freels Bend Cabin, next to Melton Hill Lake east of Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge, is the only Oak Ridge home that is still standing that was built in the 1800s.

It was one of the earliest cabins built in Anderson County. It’s on the National Historic Register.

Edward Freels started building the cabin in 1810, according to the Tennessee Historical Commission sign. The cabin was a double-pen, hewn-log structure, the sign said. The techniques used in its construction are representative of those used in the area in the early 19th century, the Tennessee Historical Commission said.

Local historic preservationists celebrated with a sign unveiling in October.

The Freels Bend Cabin in not normally open to the public. It is on restricted U.S. Department of Energy land. But there are occasional visits to the cabin that are open to the public.

The city that is now Oak Ridge was built more than 75 years ago as part of the Manhattan Project, a top-secret federal program to build the world’s first atomic weapons during World War II. The city displaced communities, farms, and families who were here before the war. Only a few of the pre-war structures remain, including the Freels Bend Cabin.

See previous stories on the Freels Bend Cabin here.

Freels-Bend-Cabin-Oct-20-2019 — The Freels Bend Cabin, the oldest structure remaining in Oak Ridge, is pictured above near Melton Hill Lake in south Oak Ridge. (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

Freels-Bend-Cabin-Historical-Marker-Sign-Unveiling-Oct-20-2019 — Historic preservationists unveil a historical sign for the Freels Bend Cabin, the oldest structure in Oak Ridge, on Oct. 20, 2019. (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

Freels-Bend-Cabin-Interior-Oct-20-2019 — Part of the interior of the Freels Bend Cabin, the oldest structure in Oak Ridge, is pictured above. (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

Freels-Bend-Cabin-Construction-Oct-20-2019 — Built in the 1800s, the Freels Bend cabin used a double-pen, hewn-log structure. The techniques used in its construction are representative of those used in the area in the early 19th century, the Tennessee Historical Commission said. The Freels Bend Cabin on Melton Hill Lake in south Oak Ridge is the oldest structure remaining in the city. (Photo courtesy D. Ray Smith)

More information will be added as it becomes available.

You can contact John Huotari, owner and publisher of Oak Ridge Today, at (865) 951-9692 or john.huotari@oakridgetoday.com.

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