Annual Society Picnic

Robertson Cabin is a Treasure

By Judy Dancy Duncan

In 1997, Randy Robertson constructed a cabin on Richland Creek Road, from red cedar logs cut from the site. The cabin is located behind the original home site of Luke & Elizabeth (Webb) Rodgers. The original home was built in the early 1800’s but no longer stands. The land is now in the 6th generation of Rodgers descendants and is a portion of the original Webb plantation.

The cabin has a sleeping loft and a chimney & fireplace of slate rock, which were from the chimneys of the original home. Handmade bricks made onsite by the Rodgers family were used as firebrick in the current cabin. Other structures at the cabin include a barn, privy and shed over the hand-dug rock lined well.

On Saturday, May 22, 2010, Randy and his wife, Mable, hosted the Saluda County Historical Society’s annual picnic, at their log cabin.

Nearly sixty attended the picnic, and enjoyed a beautiful day filled with sights from long ago and with stories of those who cherish and appreciate their past and want to preserve it for future generations.

Mable and Randy were excellent hosts and made us feel welcome as we explored the hand-dug, stone-lined well, a cabin filled with interesting finds, and a barn with old farm implements. Randy had a cozy fire going in the fireplace of the log cabin. He showed us dog paw prints in fired bricks which he had collected from the old chimney at the original Rodgers home place. The Historical Society presented Mable and Randy with a potted rose named “Robusta.” Reminds one of “Robertson,” doesn’t it?

The picture above shows the happy group sitting on the porch of the Robertson Cabin. This photo is being sent to the National Heritage Corridor, which will put it in a digital picture frame to be presented to our US Congressman along with many other letters and photographs in support of the National Heritage Corridor’s work in Saluda County.