One thing they’ll need to create is a root cellar if they plan on trying to preserve things other than potting or salting them. Plus I’d love to see them get into the subject of beds and bedding in that time period.
I've been a subscriber since they were just starting to build the cabin, its nuts that its been 3 years! Popularity and production wise it feels like on another level.
I remember when Jon first uploaded a video saying he was sick of the cooking video routine every week and wanted to expand his horizons. Usually, when a UA-cam channel gets big, they relegate themselves to whatever it was that made them popular or got them the most views. The output becomes... uniform. When the first log cabin video went up after Jon's "rant", I realized how serious he was about _not_ falling into that pattern. Jon is not a UA-camr. He's a genuine, passionate historian who just so happens to share that passion on UA-cam. It is that distinction that guarantees the longevity of Townsends.
People click for the content but stay for the personality, he brings such a wholesome and genuine atmosphere whilst also maintaining a kind of professionalism in his narration.
as much as I like all the other stuff they do, my heart truly goes out to all the delicious cooking videos. and to their store which is also a good way to support them.
A few period correct things that will extend the life of the cabin and any future buildings. 1 Lay Birch bark under the base logs. This has been done for milenia in northern europe. Norway rates a birch bark underlayment for 250 years. This will prevent the base logs from rotting. 2 Oil, oil the shingles. Boiled linseed is the best but any vegetable oil will work. 3 Lime plaster. Make a batch of quick lime and mix with sand and crushed clay. Apply over the chinking. It can even be used over the entire wall if desired, but would be a lot of work. 4 You can oil the logs also. 5 you can lime plaster the inside of the fireplace
I’ve always enjoyed your cooking, and nutmeg tavern videos, but by far, my favorite Townsends content has been your homestead series. Congrats on your channel growth, and thank you for all you do to provide us all with fantastic living history content to enjoy!
As a history teacher I truly love your channel and all the recreating you do on here. Watching this cabin and homestead come together over the years has been a joy! Please continue to add and refurbrish it. Thank you so much!
Being a carpenter of 30 years I've watched EVERY cabin/homestead video since the very first one... And have very much enjoyed and appreciated every minute of them! Thank you, keep them coming!
Thank you for your work. My kitchen remodel I've taken on has given me a HUGE amount of respect for folks like you and your skills. Just wanted to say your work is meaningful and appreciated sir. Thanks for literally building our world and making it both useful and beautiful.
I remember how worried I was when I watched Jon's upset at the response the channel got to the Orange Fool episode (July 2017). I was afraid that social media toxicity was going to cost us the Townsend's YT videos. I'm so glad that y'all didn't give in and have instead flourished. I've loved watching you every step of the way. Townsend's is perhaps the most wholesome and educational channel on this platform. The channel had around 300,000 subscribers at the time of the Orange Fool nonsense and has more than 2 million today. I think that I'm not the only one who gets a lot out of watching Townsends. Congratulations on another remarkable year, and may 2023 bring you joy. 👏
I really didn't blame him for getting angry. Injecting modern politics into the comment section on a video about 18th century food is rather upsetting to me as well because i and many others come here to escape that foolishness.
@Colin B tons of people flooded the comments of a video about a revolutionary war Era frozen custard with political comments both for and against the former president. It greatly angered Mr. Townsend.
Three years already, wow. This series started right at a particularly transformational time in my life and it's been one of my getaways from worries. Thanks for all you guys do.
It's been a great journey watching the homestead rise from the ground by your hands and then evolve into what it is today. I can't even begin to imagine what it must mean to you. Thank you all!
This has been a marvelous project to get to witness over the years. With y'all racing the weather the first year, I was wondering when you were going to put a better cladding on the roof -- which I think has been the single most important addition (and the new door). If you can't stay warm and dry, then you're going to have a hard time. After that, it's harder to decide which is the biggest improvement. For me, it's probably a tie between the blacksmithing area and the well (local water, always a welcome luxury). You need hard tools on a homestead, and nothing beats having a smithy to forge what you need and repair what you break.
In my state of Connecticut, we have a place called Old Sturbridge Village, a living 1800s township that serves as a museum/history society. I must have gone there five times as a kid, loving each time I went, because I got to blacksmith making tools and sundries, the loom weavers, and the cooks at the bakery making the best bread I've ever smelled. You bring me back to those days every time I hear your fascination with the past, because you hit it out of the park with you're unending positivity and excitement about sharing your passions. Thank you for following your passion and giving us, your viewers, a chance to share in it. I can't wait to see what you come up with next! Even if it's just a neat little bowl you made or a barn to make the Amish green with envy. Just hearing your voice will put a smile on my face.
John - I used to do Rev. War reenacting and early frontier reenacting and your cabin project is amazing! I have been in many historic fort sites as well as garrison huts and from what I can see your cabin could be lived in year round if a person wanted to be off grid and live as our ancestors did in the past. This is a positive thing for your channel as well as your business and as I am an American history teacher, I show your videos to my students and they love them and even ask to see the latest historical living or cooking videos! Some have even cooked some of your recipes and brought the food in to share! Thank you again for what you do and please know that you and the rest of your team do make a difference in the lives of so many people and it is a real blessing! Thank you again! Brian Stuart Kesterson MA. Ed. - History Department - Williamstown High School - Williamstown, West Virginia.
Watching your cabin build video has given me an understanding of what my ancestors went through and how they lived. They were farmers who moved from New York to Pennsylvania, through the Ohio Valley, on to Kansas and Nebraska. They weren't rich or famous, just men and women who worked the land and endured hardship in hope of a better life. Thank you for your efforts.
Since it's near the winter season, can you do an episode on how they made sleds, or sleighs in the 18th century in North America? That would be interesting to see . Cheers!
I know you didn’t plan your building project to align with the start of the pandemic, but the timing was perfect. l was so grateful to come across your channel three years ago. I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way I do. Back then, I was looking for calming, relaxing videos to take my mind off the pandemic and the fact I was unemployed, broke, and nobody was hiring because of the lockdowns. Your channel is a great escape from the harsh realities of modern life.
These cabin videos have been my favorites. As a child growing up in central Indiana, I had the opportunity to explore several old cabins that still existed in my neck of the woods (I'm 71). They were hewn beams, mostly used as storage sheds with corrugated tin roofing covering the deteriorating cedar shingles. Many of them were a single pen although they often had a lean-to added. My favorite one still had an old buckboard stored beneath the lean-to, its wooden wheels sunken into the earth. I marveled to think of the families that were raised in these little structures. All sites are gone now. It's sad that none were salvaged.
You need a roof for the chimney that extends a few inches beyond the borders and sits on four legs at least 3" tall. The sides are the vents but the roof keeps water etc out. This channel is so cool.
2:40 It's not historically accurate, but there may be no other option: After cutting off the rotted ends, you may want to go over to Loews or Home Depot and get some modern sealant to prevent future rot.
My kids and I have loved watching your homestead grow from day 1. The brick making process might be our favorite series of videos. Thank you for documenting such a beautiful and fascinating project! It's amazing how much you have done.
Ah i'm gonna watch this by candlelight with a cat on my lap. Always a treat to settle down for a Townsends video as we savour the flavours and the aromas of the 18th century.
This whole series has to be my favorite on UA-cam. From the attention to detail to your commitment to historical techniques and materials, the homestead has given me (as a viewer!) so much insight into the lives of our forefathers. I love experimental archeology and I remember being so excited to see your first log cabin video. I can't wait to see more! You guys are great!
It's been a lot of fun, and really enlightening, to watch you build this cabin and the homestead around it. I've learned a lot from this channel, and loved every minute of it.
Can’t remember exactly but I’ve been with you guys 5 years or so. Love all your content and the Homestead is one of my favorites. Thanks so much for your hard work!
You started on my son's 29th birthday! September 16th is a great day to birth a cabin! 😁 I have wanted to live in a cabin like this since I was a child and read the "Little House on the Prairie" books. I realized recently that my grandma wanted me to read them because her life was very much like that on a subsistence farm in Minnesota 1920s - 1940s. They moved "to town" when my grandma got her "normal" degree to teach school (before a university degree was needed). As she taught, she continued her education as the times changed.
The first cabin video was wonderful, the ending where it started snowing just as you finished up was cinematic and couldn't have been more perfect if you planned it. Love the channel, love all of the projects you're doing on the homestead and can't wait to see what's up next.
I remember watching the first cabin video and remember thinking “in before ‘the cabin collapsed’ video comes next” 😂 but wow what a journey! I’d love to see the inside and sit in an cabin that looks like I’d freeze to death over night… to it actually being a well made building that’s so warm and cosy with an amazing fire! What an achievement, I think you guys need to pat yourselves on the back! Don’t thank us! Thank yourselves! Amazing work! Keep it up! ❤
I've watched the Homestead grow from the beginning, & eagerly look forward to every new video! I love working with hand-tools, and watching y'all use basic tools to create a home and outbuildings is inspiring. Thank You so much for sharing this journey with us!
My first video that I watched was the cob oven videos from way back in 2011. I play RPGs and I was looking for info on medieval baking and how a shipwrecked group of people could start to thrive if stranded in an unpopulated area. I found your channel and have been subscribed ever since. So much fun and education. Thank you.
@@Mokey56001 Look for a list of "Robinsonade" (Robinson-odd) books. Those are books about people living like Crusoe. "Swiss Family Robinson" is a poor example; they had a whole colony ship to loot, and an island containing every kind of life, from penguins to ostriches to horses!
I have been here from before the cabin videos but I agree with other commenters this was a turning point. I love the cooking vids but watching all of the stuff from the cabin is even better.
Wow, I was subscribed when you guys first started putting up cabin videos. It's amazing to think that was 3 years ago! how time flies and I am impressed with how well it's held up and all the amazing homestead content since then. I really enjoy seeing the new additions you guys build for the homestead!
I have loved the homestead videos right from the beginning. At the beginning, I'd see how.long a "building" video would be, and wonder how you could possibly keep my interest through the whole thing- and every time, I am fascinated start to finish. 😊 They give me warm memories of my brother - it was nice for me, knowing we were both enjoying them. (He has since passed, during this time period.)
The smoke house using the mortise and tenon joint construction is what style the main house would be built in. Making the smoke house first would be the learning phase of the main house construction. I'm impressed with the willingness to work hard to show WORKING HARD. Amazing!
Jon and crew - have fallen in like with your channel! I have cooked many of your recipes and was given an old cook book by my mother; I really enjoy the 'homestead' videos as well (I can't believe its been 3 years since the cabin!) and love your readings and especially the Nutmeg tavern talks and explanations. One thing I came away with is a deep appreciation of what many of our forefathers went through to get us 'here' .. and how easy we have it now (relatively speaking). Thank you for keeping it politically free! Hope you all are still interested in doing more videos in the future!
When I was a kid in the 90s I was blessed with the privilege to go into the woods and fell whatever trees we wanted to. The area was waiting for development. The owner simply asked that we not "burn it all down". By age 16 my friends and I had built several log cabins. Your roof is better than ours. Now that I'm nearing my 40's I have to buy my own land to try again. I envy you.
I have watched since you began; each element was an education, and feeling of fascination for those who built each of the structures you worked on. Three years has gone by quickly, and I still look forward to more. Thank you for sharing your passion and sense of adventure
I was there at the beginning of the cabin build. Actually way before then. To be honest the work you have did on the homestead is some of my favorite videos on all of UA-cam. I love learning how to do stuff like that.
I remember this when it first started and waiting for the update videos. Looked like incredibly back breaking work felling, trimming, and setting the logs by hand, but you got it done RIGHT as the snow started to fall. Completely forgot about the bark roof AND that it was filmed that long ago >.< Nice to see updates like this to know it was a success.
I unfortunately don’t remember how I found your channel about 5 years ago John but what I do know is that your channel is now a very important part of my life and you have inspired me more than you could ever know. Thank you for everything that you do
I live in a pioneer log hut in Australia - built using horizontal slabs in 1893 with a shingle roof and mud floor. The floor has been upgraded, there's tin over the shingles, and half the log walls rotted away - but its still here and it is a lovely home
Watched every episode of the construction and could hardly wait for the next. Thank you , had one of these cabins on my family's farm in Greene County, VA. , was too young to appreciate the time and effort that it took to have done this project. Had barns and outbuildings that had the shake shingles, the smoke house. This was in the early 50's and the times had not caught up with my family's agrarian lifestyle. Thank you again looking forward to your next projects.
You started the cabin shortly after I started watching your channel! It's been such a fun journey to watch. Thanks for taking us all along. Your channel has been a blessing to me through several years of surgeries and extended periods of bedrest; thank you for providing an artistic, educational, wholesome space that gave me something meaningful to watch when I was tired and discouraged. I'm not able to participate much in the historical/re-enacting community, but this channel makes me still feel connected. THANK YOU! :)
It has been a great three years watching the cabin homestead being built. I have loved every minute of it. Smokehouse is great but a root cellar would be good too.
The cabin/homestead has been my favourite part of your channel. I was watching for a couple years before you started it and it's always a joy when you release a new video about it.
My family found your channel due to the cooking that you did but I'm a true lover of history and began watching your other videos and when you guys started the cabin project I watched with great anticipation to see how it was done and I've been amazed ever since on what you guys have done on the Homestead and what the Homestead is becoming I so want to see it in person and I can't wait till I get the chance
My family and I have been there since the beginning. Thanks so much! We love the old videos and are always looking out for new ones. Thanks John, Michael, and Ryan.... btw, we would love to see more of Nicole!! Knitting, crochet, tatting, sewing, more of her would be awesome. If you could include historical patterns to follow it would be amazing. Thank you!!
I've watched your channel for several years and I adore the passion you and the people you know put toward the work that is done be it cooking, crafting or building! Keep up the hard work and teaching and bless you all
Firstly. I've followed your channel for years. The dugout canoe, this cabin. the mini movies, all of these have been wonderful. It's been a while since your daughter has cooked for us, and as things morph over time, you've managed to keep the content awesome. You haven't showcased your goods for sale in a while, and showcasing them has never been problem, as you've consistently done so in an entertaining and inviting manner. In other words, for everyone there, keep up the amazing work each and every one of you do.
This is my favourite project on UA-cam, please keep adding to the homestead. I don't have the space to do anything like this, so it's great to be able to see you do it.
I've been watching your channel for years. Hands down the cabin videos are my favorite. I watched you go on the journey to decide which type of cabin to build and then I watched you build this one. I have rewatched this series repeatedly because I think it is so fun. I'm glad you gave an update on the cabin!
I remember when you first started talking about building a log cabin & have watched the progression of the cabin & the homestead. It's one thing to read about this in books, but another thing entirely to see the actual process. Seems like this used to be a skill many of our pioneers used to have (to be able to build their own home) & glad you are keeping this information alive in a way that is very engaging.
I used to dream of building a small log cabin and spent hours reading and researching. When you started the cabin I was so excited to watch. My dream stayed only a dream but I sure daydreamed a bunch more watching you all do it! My favorite videos, along with lanterns, candles, and the beans-bacon in the small cast pot. I got famous amoungst the family for making that one! 😘😊 Love your channel!
Loved watching you guys build the cabin, can't believe it's been three years! Amazed your fireplace is still in good condition, I was so sure it would here fallen over come spring!! Thanks for all the fun adventures and recipes!
I enjoyed your video. You did a great expermint that answered questions for me. I have been living in a log house. Aproxamently 13X24', two story for 49 years. It was built here in north eastern washington state in 1907. It was uninhabeted for 25 years before I came along. It had a cedar shake roof that had really done well with only two holes. It now has metal roofing and electric as well as running water. I love it.
Been enjoying cooking with you for what seems a lifetime and following the homestead as well. You all are a fantastic asset and resource! Thank you! Thank you!
I started watching you channel just before you started the homestead project and it's been such a treat to follow along with all the additions you've made. I dabble in writing historical fiction and you provide excellent insights into the everyday lives of people from the past.
I've been watching your videos for about 4 years, and in addition to enjoying their great quality they show me how my northern European ancestors would have survived as they made their way from 17th century Virginia through the Carolinas and Georgia and on to 19th century Texas. Thank you for all the research and stories and filming you are doing.
I've watched your videos on building this cabin, earthen oven, black smith bellows and black smith shop. And many other videos, especially cooking videos many times over. I love live history. Some day I'd like to get involved with reenactment in my retirement. Keep up the good work and God bless you and your family and your company.
I've been watching for years. My favorite is the homestead build and the blacksmithing. Congratulations on the success of the channel. God bless y'all.
I’m just now seeing this and catching up on videos, I’ve been watching for like ten years now, I loved watching y’all learn the techniques and going to look at historical buildings to get some ideas to actually building it, I’m so excited it’s still up and relatively in great condition,,,turns out our ancestors knew what they was doing lol
From the first video inside the cabin, it's been obvious how much you love an enjoy it. The whole team should take enormous pride in the cabin and all the videos about it it and filmed in it.
I DO remember when you built the cabin! I remember thinking what an excellent addition to the videos you were already doing and was fascinated by the tools and the COOPERATION it took to pull off. Still a mighty impressive feat! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Love to see the progress that's been made over the last 3 years! I remember when you first build the main cabin and was so excited to see the process and from there the channel and the homestead has grown. Can't wait to see what you build next!
I've been watching since before the homestead and this is one of my favorite series. Starting from nothing and using the local environment to create a place to live and work is impressive and comforting. I love the cooking episodes, I love the blacksmith episodes, I love the building episodes. It's been great and I always look forward to more :)
I've been watching your videos for several years now. I watched with great interest as you were doing research and talking about doing this project, and I am thrilled to see it working and growing. Thank you for the incredible history lessons your channel provides.
I'd imagine in rocky states, like PA, the bottom touching the ground may have been assembled from rocks. Use what you have, of course. I'm glad you started doing videos like this, you seem much happier than just doing only the cooking videos. And having a variety of helpers in the process too.
I'm glad to see it's holding up. And that you're fixing the daub because in a recent video in front of the fireplace, I saw to one side a small hole where the light shined through and I couldn't stop looking at it now once I'd noticed.
I've been watching the channel since it was "How to use Shoe Buckles", and the like. The evolution of the channel is a testament to Jon's love of history, and we get to benefit from it. I have learned so much over the years and want to thank the entire Townsends team for it. Thank you "Professor Nutmeg" and your entire team.
I watched from the beginning when you started building the cabin and it has been fascinating to watch the progress and the lessons you’ve learned knowing that people of the frontier in the 18th century must’ve had the same thoughts, feelings and sense of accomplishment. Its been a great ride and I look forward to seeing the new things that happen on the homestead.
Hey, I found your channel through looking for fried chicken recipes a few years ago. Soon after I saw that you were building a homestead and ever since then, this has been the first and only channel that I watch religiously. My work sometimes involves historic preservation work and I have always enjoyed practicing traditional skills enough that I went looking for a field in which I could make that my work. Out west where I am, our permanent structure history doesn't really go back to the 18th century. But I've fixed up a few 19th century structures using 19th century tools and techniques. I have had so much joy seeing how things were done a century before where my knowledge base is and with relatively restrictive resources. I hope that y'all keep doing what you do so long as you keep on loving it, because I sure do love it too!
I've been here for years and years (I believe since the 2nd or 3rd season of the cooking show). I love the videos. They're all wonderful. I've been watching all the cabin videos and absolutely love them! Everyone at Townsends keep up the great work!
I have this playlist saved for comfort viewing. I was amazed by just how quickly (relatively speaking) the cabin went up, but the drawbacks are unfortunately quite clear - this is meant to be a temporary structure, and it shows, with how often it needs to be repaired to remain livable in the long term. The rest of the things you've done to turn this from an isolated cabin into a full, living homestead was a welcome surprise!
One thing they’ll need to create is a root cellar if they plan on trying to preserve things other than potting or salting them. Plus I’d love to see them get into the subject of beds and bedding in that time period.
I was just about to ask about the beds😂
Everyone should be planning and making root cellars for the times ahead.
I would really love to see them make a root cellar!
@@nordicson2835 We have a crawlspace under our living room, in our basement, that seems ideal to do this.
@@nordicson2835 Sadly I live in front of a cemetery. If I start digging back there people aren’t going to take too kindly to it. ;)
To be honest the cabin video was the turning point in this channel. This channel has become a documentary series more than just a cooking channel.
It's not really either. It's a living history channel. It teaches history by living in it and using it as a tool.
@@docthemedic The channel is documenting the living history project they're undertaking.
I've been a subscriber since they were just starting to build the cabin, its nuts that its been 3 years! Popularity and production wise it feels like on another level.
agreed. the chanel has become a wonderful education tool about history in general from this time period, and it is amazing to see continue to develop
The food brought us here, the home kept us here.
I remember when Jon first uploaded a video saying he was sick of the cooking video routine every week and wanted to expand his horizons. Usually, when a UA-cam channel gets big, they relegate themselves to whatever it was that made them popular or got them the most views. The output becomes... uniform. When the first log cabin video went up after Jon's "rant", I realized how serious he was about _not_ falling into that pattern. Jon is not a UA-camr. He's a genuine, passionate historian who just so happens to share that passion on UA-cam. It is that distinction that guarantees the longevity of Townsends.
He honestly needs his own show
People click for the content but stay for the personality, he brings such a wholesome and genuine atmosphere whilst also maintaining a kind of professionalism in his narration.
Well said.
as much as I like all the other stuff they do, my heart truly goes out to all the delicious cooking videos. and to their store which is also a good way to support them.
@@BlackMasterRoshi I agree, I love all the content but the cooking videos are always my favorite
A few period correct things that will extend the life of the cabin and any future buildings.
1 Lay Birch bark under the base logs. This has been done for milenia in northern europe. Norway rates a birch bark underlayment for 250 years. This will prevent the base logs from rotting.
2 Oil, oil the shingles. Boiled linseed is the best but any vegetable oil will work.
3 Lime plaster. Make a batch of quick lime and mix with sand and crushed clay. Apply over the chinking. It can even be used over the entire wall if desired, but would be a lot of work.
4 You can oil the logs also.
5 you can lime plaster the inside of the fireplace
It's been three years already? It feels like yesterday when you went around looking at log cabins and researching stuff so you can build your own. 😊
ikr, at most it felt like it's the same season in which the new roof came on lol
Same. Quarantine and all of the social/ political drama has definitely skewed our perception of time, but still. Three years... wow.
I know, right? It's crazy how time flies.
exactly!!!
It has been a wonderful journey that they've shared with us, though are we now going to see the teased Big House being built? 😀
I’ve always enjoyed your cooking, and nutmeg tavern videos, but by far, my favorite Townsends content has been your homestead series. Congrats on your channel growth, and thank you for all you do to provide us all with fantastic living history content to enjoy!
Same -- the homestead videos fill me with excitement every time I see one.
As a history teacher I truly love your channel and all the recreating you do on here.
Watching this cabin and homestead come together over the years has been a joy!
Please continue to add and refurbrish it.
Thank you so much!
You definitely need to show your class his videos if/when you can, If they had played this in class I would be absolutely glued to the screen.
Being a carpenter of 30 years I've watched EVERY cabin/homestead video since the very first one...
And have very much enjoyed and appreciated every minute of them!
Thank you, keep them coming!
Thank you for your work. My kitchen remodel I've taken on has given me a HUGE amount of respect for folks like you and your skills. Just wanted to say your work is meaningful and appreciated sir. Thanks for literally building our world and making it both useful and beautiful.
@@AaronGrosch29 what else? Have you thought about how that grow there food back then ,how that pl0wed their field? 8t would be interesting
I remember how worried I was when I watched Jon's upset at the response the channel got to the Orange Fool episode (July 2017). I was afraid that social media toxicity was going to cost us the Townsend's YT videos. I'm so glad that y'all didn't give in and have instead flourished. I've loved watching you every step of the way. Townsend's is perhaps the most wholesome and educational channel on this platform. The channel had around 300,000 subscribers at the time of the Orange Fool nonsense and has more than 2 million today. I think that I'm not the only one who gets a lot out of watching Townsends. Congratulations on another remarkable year, and may 2023 bring you joy. 👏
I really didn't blame him for getting angry. Injecting modern politics into the comment section on a video about 18th century food is rather upsetting to me as well because i and many others come here to escape that foolishness.
Boy tell me about it. I was super annoyed right there with him when he made the video (remember that one too).
What happened?
@Colin B tons of people flooded the comments of a video about a revolutionary war Era frozen custard with political comments both for and against the former president. It greatly angered Mr. Townsend.
Here here🍻
Three years already, wow. This series started right at a particularly transformational time in my life and it's been one of my getaways from worries. Thanks for all you guys do.
It's been a great journey watching the homestead rise from the ground by your hands and then evolve into what it is today. I can't even begin to imagine what it must mean to you. Thank you all!
This has been a marvelous project to get to witness over the years. With y'all racing the weather the first year, I was wondering when you were going to put a better cladding on the roof -- which I think has been the single most important addition (and the new door). If you can't stay warm and dry, then you're going to have a hard time. After that, it's harder to decide which is the biggest improvement. For me, it's probably a tie between the blacksmithing area and the well (local water, always a welcome luxury). You need hard tools on a homestead, and nothing beats having a smithy to forge what you need and repair what you break.
In my state of Connecticut, we have a place called Old Sturbridge Village, a living 1800s township that serves as a museum/history society. I must have gone there five times as a kid, loving each time I went, because I got to blacksmith making tools and sundries, the loom weavers, and the cooks at the bakery making the best bread I've ever smelled. You bring me back to those days every time I hear your fascination with the past, because you hit it out of the park with you're unending positivity and excitement about sharing your passions.
Thank you for following your passion and giving us, your viewers, a chance to share in it. I can't wait to see what you come up with next! Even if it's just a neat little bowl you made or a barn to make the Amish green with envy. Just hearing your voice will put a smile on my face.
John - I used to do Rev. War reenacting and early frontier reenacting and your cabin project is amazing! I have been in many historic fort sites as well as garrison huts and from what I can see your cabin could be lived in year round if a person wanted to be off grid and live as our ancestors did in the past. This is a positive thing for your channel as well as your business and as I am an American history teacher, I show your videos to my students and they love them and even ask to see the latest historical living or cooking videos! Some have even cooked some of your recipes and brought the food in to share! Thank you again for what you do and please know that you and the rest of your team do make a difference in the lives of so many people and it is a real blessing! Thank you again! Brian Stuart Kesterson MA. Ed. - History Department - Williamstown High School - Williamstown, West Virginia.
Saw it from the beginning. Like a relative's kid, I appreciate seeing it grow and change. Thank for the update.
Watching your cabin build video has given me an understanding of what my ancestors went through and how they lived. They were farmers who moved from New York to Pennsylvania, through the Ohio Valley, on to Kansas and Nebraska. They weren't rich or famous, just men and women who worked the land and endured hardship in hope of a better life. Thank you for your efforts.
Amazing isn't it? My German ancestors traveled across the US in mid 1860's via COVERED wagon to Iowa to become Farmers. Farm still stands.
Since it's near the winter season, can you do an episode on how they made sleds, or sleighs in the 18th century in North America? That would be interesting to see . Cheers!
Are you following Engles Coach Shop?
@@thirzapeevey2395 I'm not. I should check them out. Cheers!
Or an acoustic version of Nantucket Sleigh Ride
Been watching for years. Love the direction you go in
Can you believe they thought bark was a good roof ?
I know you didn’t plan your building project to align with the start of the pandemic, but the timing was perfect. l was so grateful to come across your channel three years ago. I’m sure a lot of people feel the same way I do. Back then, I was looking for calming, relaxing videos to take my mind off the pandemic and the fact I was unemployed, broke, and nobody was hiring because of the lockdowns. Your channel is a great escape from the harsh realities of modern life.
These cabin videos have been my favorites. As a child growing up in central Indiana, I had the opportunity to explore several old cabins that still existed in my neck of the woods (I'm 71). They were hewn beams, mostly used as storage sheds with corrugated tin roofing covering the deteriorating cedar shingles. Many of them were a single pen although they often had a lean-to added. My favorite one still had an old buckboard stored beneath the lean-to, its wooden wheels sunken into the earth. I marveled to think of the families that were raised in these little structures. All sites are gone now. It's sad that none were salvaged.
You need a roof for the chimney that extends a few inches beyond the borders and sits on four legs at least 3" tall. The sides are the vents but the roof keeps water etc out. This channel is so cool.
2:40 It's not historically accurate, but there may be no other option: After cutting off the rotted ends, you may want to go over to Loews or Home Depot and get some modern sealant to prevent future rot.
Jon, it is always interesting what you do with the homestead. Looking forward to more.
My kids and I have loved watching your homestead grow from day 1. The brick making process might be our favorite series of videos. Thank you for documenting such a beautiful and fascinating project! It's amazing how much you have done.
I believe the first video of yours I ever watched was "What am I gonna do with all these hooks and eyes!?" It's amazing how far this channel has come.
Ah i'm gonna watch this by candlelight with a cat on my lap. Always a treat to settle down for a Townsends video as we savour the flavours and the aromas of the 18th century.
This whole series has to be my favorite on UA-cam. From the attention to detail to your commitment to historical techniques and materials, the homestead has given me (as a viewer!) so much insight into the lives of our forefathers. I love experimental archeology and I remember being so excited to see your first log cabin video. I can't wait to see more! You guys are great!
I saw ❤ a thousand videos, and they were all good 👍, Love ❤️ ya, brother!
3 years already?! You guys have done such amazing work with this and everything on the homestead.
It's been a lot of fun, and really enlightening, to watch you build this cabin and the homestead around it. I've learned a lot from this channel, and loved every minute of it.
Can’t remember exactly but I’ve been with you guys 5 years or so. Love all your content and the Homestead is one of my favorites. Thanks so much for your hard work!
You started on my son's 29th birthday! September 16th is a great day to birth a cabin! 😁
I have wanted to live in a cabin like this since I was a child and read the "Little House on the Prairie" books. I realized recently that my grandma wanted me to read them because her life was very much like that on a subsistence farm in Minnesota 1920s - 1940s. They moved "to town" when my grandma got her "normal" degree to teach school (before a university degree was needed). As she taught, she continued her education as the times changed.
Mexico's "4th of july"....No Joke.
The first cabin video was wonderful, the ending where it started snowing just as you finished up was cinematic and couldn't have been more perfect if you planned it. Love the channel, love all of the projects you're doing on the homestead and can't wait to see what's up next.
I’ve loved the homestead series! Now that you’ve made bricks, a brick chimney top could be added to stop the slow erosion of the Cobb clay at the top.
I remember watching the first cabin video and remember thinking “in before ‘the cabin collapsed’ video comes next” 😂 but wow what a journey! I’d love to see the inside and sit in an cabin that looks like I’d freeze to death over night… to it actually being a well made building that’s so warm and cosy with an amazing fire! What an achievement, I think you guys need to pat yourselves on the back! Don’t thank us! Thank yourselves! Amazing work! Keep it up! ❤
Really, it's a testament to the talent involved in this project that it didn't collapse within the first few months, let alone for three years.
I loved watching you build this. It looks so quaint and comfy. It brightens my day to see it looking so amazing.
I've watched the Homestead grow from the beginning, & eagerly look forward to every new video! I love working with hand-tools, and watching y'all use basic tools to create a home and outbuildings is inspiring. Thank You so much for sharing this journey with us!
Three years. Crazy how time flies. Felt like it was 6 months ago watching you guys make the cabin.
My first video that I watched was the cob oven videos from way back in 2011. I play RPGs and I was looking for info on medieval baking and how a shipwrecked group of people could start to thrive if stranded in an unpopulated area. I found your channel and have been subscribed ever since. So much fun and education. Thank you.
"The Mysterious Island" by Jules Verne is just like that! They start out with a watch and a dog collar, and created everything else!
@@Pygar2 Interesting! I haven't read that one. Off to find a digital copy! Thanks!
@@Mokey56001 Look for a list of "Robinsonade" (Robinson-odd) books. Those are books about people living like Crusoe. "Swiss Family Robinson" is a poor example; they had a whole colony ship to loot, and an island containing every kind of life, from penguins to ostriches to horses!
I have been here from before the cabin videos but I agree with other commenters this was a turning point. I love the cooking vids but watching all of the stuff from the cabin is even better.
Wow, I was subscribed when you guys first started putting up cabin videos. It's amazing to think that was 3 years ago! how time flies and I am impressed with how well it's held up and all the amazing homestead content since then. I really enjoy seeing the new additions you guys build for the homestead!
I have loved the homestead videos right from the beginning. At the beginning, I'd see how.long a "building" video would be, and wonder how you could possibly keep my interest through the whole thing- and every time, I am fascinated start to finish. 😊 They give me warm memories of my brother - it was nice for me, knowing we were both enjoying them. (He has since passed, during this time period.)
The smoke house using the mortise and tenon joint construction is what style the main house would be built in. Making the smoke house first would be the learning phase of the main house construction. I'm impressed with the willingness to work hard to show WORKING HARD. Amazing!
Jon and crew - have fallen in like with your channel! I have cooked many of your recipes and was given an old cook book by my mother; I really enjoy the 'homestead' videos as well (I can't believe its been 3 years since the cabin!) and love your readings and especially the Nutmeg tavern talks and explanations. One thing I came away with is a deep appreciation of what many of our forefathers went through to get us 'here' .. and how easy we have it now (relatively speaking). Thank you for keeping it politically free! Hope you all are still interested in doing more videos in the future!
When I was a kid in the 90s I was blessed with the privilege to go into the woods and fell whatever trees we wanted to. The area was waiting for development. The owner simply asked that we not "burn it all down". By age 16 my friends and I had built several log cabins. Your roof is better than ours.
Now that I'm nearing my 40's I have to buy my own land to try again. I envy you.
I have watched since you began; each element was an education, and feeling of fascination for those who built each of the structures you worked on. Three years has gone by quickly, and I still look forward to more. Thank you for sharing your passion and sense of adventure
I was there at the beginning of the cabin build. Actually way before then. To be honest the work you have did on the homestead is some of my favorite videos on all of UA-cam. I love learning how to do stuff like that.
Building the cabin was the first Townsends video I watched! It's been an incredible journey watching this grow, keep it up!
I remember this when it first started and waiting for the update videos. Looked like incredibly back breaking work felling, trimming, and setting the logs by hand, but you got it done RIGHT as the snow started to fall. Completely forgot about the bark roof AND that it was filmed that long ago >.< Nice to see updates like this to know it was a success.
I unfortunately don’t remember how I found your channel about 5 years ago John but what I do know is that your channel is now a very important part of my life and you have inspired me more than you could ever know. Thank you for everything that you do
I live in a pioneer log hut in Australia - built using horizontal slabs in 1893 with a shingle roof and mud floor. The floor has been upgraded, there's tin over the shingles, and half the log walls rotted away - but its still here and it is a lovely home
Watched every episode of the construction and could hardly wait for the next. Thank you , had one of these cabins on my family's farm in Greene County, VA. , was too young to appreciate the time and effort that it took to have done this project. Had barns and outbuildings that had the shake shingles, the smoke house. This was in the early 50's and the times had not caught up with my family's agrarian lifestyle. Thank you again looking forward to your next projects.
You started the cabin shortly after I started watching your channel! It's been such a fun journey to watch. Thanks for taking us all along. Your channel has been a blessing to me through several years of surgeries and extended periods of bedrest; thank you for providing an artistic, educational, wholesome space that gave me something meaningful to watch when I was tired and discouraged. I'm not able to participate much in the historical/re-enacting community, but this channel makes me still feel connected. THANK YOU! :)
The cabin still looks fantastic, John! I really enjoy watching you build structures on your homestead - so soothing and educational 😍
It has been a great three years watching the cabin homestead being built. I have loved every minute of it. Smokehouse is great but a root cellar would be good too.
The cabin/homestead has been my favourite part of your channel. I was watching for a couple years before you started it and it's always a joy when you release a new video about it.
I loved watching all of the cabin videos from the beginning. I just can't believe its been 3 years.
Love you guys! Can’t wait to see he smokehouse in action!
I've been here since the beginning and loved every minute....I do miss seeing John cook in the style he started out with!
I truly have enjoy see your channel change and evolve. The cabin / homestead series has been one of my favorites.
I watched the original cabin build several times over and have enjoyed it just as much each time. Thank you for updating us
My family found your channel due to the cooking that you did but I'm a true lover of history and began watching your other videos and when you guys started the cabin project I watched with great anticipation to see how it was done and I've been amazed ever since on what you guys have done on the Homestead and what the Homestead is becoming I so want to see it in person and I can't wait till I get the chance
My family and I have been there since the beginning. Thanks so much! We love the old videos and are always looking out for new ones. Thanks John, Michael, and Ryan.... btw, we would love to see more of Nicole!! Knitting, crochet, tatting, sewing, more of her would be awesome. If you could include historical patterns to follow it would be amazing. Thank you!!
I've watched your channel for several years and I adore the passion you and the people you know put toward the work that is done be it cooking, crafting or building! Keep up the hard work and teaching and bless you all
Firstly. I've followed your channel for years. The dugout canoe, this cabin. the mini movies, all of these have been wonderful.
It's been a while since your daughter has cooked for us, and as things morph over time, you've managed to keep the content awesome.
You haven't showcased your goods for sale in a while, and showcasing them has never been problem, as you've consistently done so in an entertaining and inviting manner.
In other words, for everyone there, keep up the amazing work each and every one of you do.
Jon, I remember your first exploration video researching old structures, and I have been with you ever since. Well done to you and your crew!
Just glad to see you guys still at it, a lot of channels I watch have gone under and disappear. Keep doing what you all do!
This is my favourite project on UA-cam, please keep adding to the homestead. I don't have the space to do anything like this, so it's great to be able to see you do it.
I've been watching your channel for years. Hands down the cabin videos are my favorite. I watched you go on the journey to decide which type of cabin to build and then I watched you build this one. I have rewatched this series repeatedly because I think it is so fun. I'm glad you gave an update on the cabin!
It's more than living history, it's living science and experimenting.
I remember when you first started talking about building a log cabin & have watched the progression of the cabin & the homestead. It's one thing to read about this in books, but another thing entirely to see the actual process. Seems like this used to be a skill many of our pioneers used to have (to be able to build their own home) & glad you are keeping this information alive in a way that is very engaging.
I used to dream of building a small log cabin and spent hours reading and researching. When you started the cabin I was so excited to watch. My dream stayed only a dream but I sure daydreamed a bunch more watching you all do it! My favorite videos, along with lanterns, candles, and the beans-bacon in the small cast pot. I got famous amoungst the family for making that one! 😘😊
Love your channel!
Loved watching you guys build the cabin, can't believe it's been three years! Amazed your fireplace is still in good condition, I was so sure it would here fallen over come spring!! Thanks for all the fun adventures and recipes!
I enjoyed your video. You did a great expermint that answered questions for me. I have been living in a log house. Aproxamently 13X24', two story for 49 years. It was built here in north eastern washington state in 1907. It was uninhabeted for 25 years before I came along. It had a cedar shake roof that had really done well with only two holes.
It now has metal roofing and electric as well as running water. I love it.
Been enjoying cooking with you for what seems a lifetime and following the homestead as well. You all are a fantastic asset and resource! Thank you! Thank you!
I remember ■ the addition to the chimney and the bark roof; through it all it is a sweet cabin.
I started watching you channel just before you started the homestead project and it's been such a treat to follow along with all the additions you've made. I dabble in writing historical fiction and you provide excellent insights into the everyday lives of people from the past.
I have watched it since the beginning of the build. Amazing the work you have done. Thanks for sharing.
I've been watching your videos for about 4 years, and in addition to enjoying their great quality they show me how my northern European ancestors would have survived as they made their way from 17th century Virginia through the Carolinas and Georgia and on to 19th century Texas. Thank you for all the research and stories and filming you are doing.
I've watched your videos on building this cabin, earthen oven, black smith bellows and black smith shop. And many other videos, especially cooking videos many times over. I love live history. Some day I'd like to get involved with reenactment in my retirement. Keep up the good work and God bless you and your family and your company.
I've been watching for years. My favorite is the homestead build and the blacksmithing. Congratulations on the success of the channel. God bless y'all.
I was so excited when you started the cabin project! I'd seen one or two of your cooking videos but this was the series that got me HOOKED
It's been amazing watching this go from a simple log cabin to all the renovations you have done. I look forward to all you do in the future.
This is the best series on UA-cam hands down! I've been enjoying from the beginning and have went back and watched a lot of the videos multiple times.
Been watching since the start of construction, what a fantastic project. Also enjoying seeing the rest of the farm come to life. Cheers!
I’m just now seeing this and catching up on videos, I’ve been watching for like ten years now, I loved watching y’all learn the techniques and going to look at historical buildings to get some ideas to actually building it, I’m so excited it’s still up and relatively in great condition,,,turns out our ancestors knew what they was doing lol
From the first video inside the cabin, it's been obvious how much you love an enjoy it. The whole team should take enormous pride in the cabin and all the videos about it it and filmed in it.
I DO remember when you built the cabin! I remember thinking what an excellent addition to the videos you were already doing and was fascinated by the tools and the COOPERATION it took to pull off. Still a mighty impressive feat! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Love to see the progress that's been made over the last 3 years! I remember when you first build the main cabin and was so excited to see the process and from there the channel and the homestead has grown. Can't wait to see what you build next!
Been watching you guys for years, I love your content. Thank you for keeping our heritage alive.
I've been watching since before the homestead and this is one of my favorite series. Starting from nothing and using the local environment to create a place to live and work is impressive and comforting. I love the cooking episodes, I love the blacksmith episodes, I love the building episodes. It's been great and I always look forward to more :)
I've been watching your videos for several years now. I watched with great interest as you were doing research and talking about doing this project, and I am thrilled to see it working and growing. Thank you for the incredible history lessons your channel provides.
I'd imagine in rocky states, like PA, the bottom touching the ground may have been assembled from rocks. Use what you have, of course. I'm glad you started doing videos like this, you seem much happier than just doing only the cooking videos. And having a variety of helpers in the process too.
What a successful experiment! Your channel is such a relief from all the chaos and negativity these days. Please keep doing what you're doing.
I'm glad to see it's holding up. And that you're fixing the daub because in a recent video in front of the fireplace, I saw to one side a small hole where the light shined through and I couldn't stop looking at it now once I'd noticed.
I've been watching the channel since it was "How to use Shoe Buckles", and the like. The evolution of the channel is a testament to Jon's love of history, and we get to benefit from it. I have learned so much over the years and want to thank the entire Townsends team for it. Thank you "Professor Nutmeg" and your entire team.
I watched from the beginning when you started building the cabin and it has been fascinating to watch the progress and the lessons you’ve learned knowing that people of the frontier in the 18th century must’ve had the same thoughts, feelings and sense of accomplishment. Its been a great ride and I look forward to seeing the new things that happen on the homestead.
Hey, I found your channel through looking for fried chicken recipes a few years ago. Soon after I saw that you were building a homestead and ever since then, this has been the first and only channel that I watch religiously. My work sometimes involves historic preservation work and I have always enjoyed practicing traditional skills enough that I went looking for a field in which I could make that my work. Out west where I am, our permanent structure history doesn't really go back to the 18th century. But I've fixed up a few 19th century structures using 19th century tools and techniques. I have had so much joy seeing how things were done a century before where my knowledge base is and with relatively restrictive resources. I hope that y'all keep doing what you do so long as you keep on loving it, because I sure do love it too!
I've been here for years and years (I believe since the 2nd or 3rd season of the cooking show). I love the videos. They're all wonderful. I've been watching all the cabin videos and absolutely love them! Everyone at Townsends keep up the great work!
I have this playlist saved for comfort viewing. I was amazed by just how quickly (relatively speaking) the cabin went up, but the drawbacks are unfortunately quite clear - this is meant to be a temporary structure, and it shows, with how often it needs to be repaired to remain livable in the long term. The rest of the things you've done to turn this from an isolated cabin into a full, living homestead was a welcome surprise!