Work continues on the Bella Vista Historical Museum's Settlers Cabin.
The century-old 16-by-16-foot cabin, which was accepted by the museum March 2018 and moved to the museum grounds March 2019, is undergoing some exterior finishing work, including stonework around the base and a front porch.
Reroofing with period-correct cedar shake shingles is expected to start once the porch is complete.
Bella Vista Historical Society president Xyta Lucas said she is extremely pleased with the work so far and she was impressed with stoneworker Tom Scully's work near the base.
"I think he did an excellent job on the native stone," she said.
He worked with a combination of donated stone and stone he sourced for the project, she explained. Concrete was donated by Cooper Communities, she said.
"He'd sit there and he'd look at it for a while ... he'd start picking up stones and putting them on top like he had the whole thing envisioned. It was pretty incredible," Lucas said.
Scully said he's been at it for the past 25 years after learning from a father and son business in 1994.
He enjoys the job because people appreciate good work, he said.
The pattern on a given rock wall is a product of the specific rocks one has, he said.
"It depends on the rocks you have, you know," he said. "I was just trying to make it look like it'd been there for a while."
In addition to using native stone, Scully said he used a dye in his mortar to help achieve a more aged look.
Lucas said the cabin could open as an exhibit by the end of this year, though there are some logistical hurdles to overcome regarding how exactly the cabin should be shown.
The cabin will not be left open, she explained, and will have a security system in place, but it also needs to be accessed to be shown and needs to be furnished with period-correct items.
It won't be wheelchair accessible, she said, and the museum will have a video to show the cabin's interior to people with mobility-related challenges.
The museum is still raising funds to complete and furnish the exhibit, she said, and still offers space on a plaque for anyone who donates more than $100.
General News on 07/10/2019