In and Around the Museum
Upcoming Preservation Project for the Mertink Log Cabin and Vintage Tools and Equipment
Two log homes on display in the Texas Wendish Heritage Museum Complex, the Kurio and Mertink homes, were built in the 1800’s in the Serbin area by Wendish families and were donated to TWHS by descendants of the original Wends who built them. The Kurio log home is fully restored, displaying a one-room family dwelling with furnishings of the era. The Mertink log home is on display under a nearby pavilion. These log homes provide examples of early Texas architecture and the humble life of our ancestors in the 1800’s. Also on display with the Mertink log home is a large collection of 1800’s farming equipment and handmade tools, some of which were used to build log structures.
A project scheduled for 2019 will provide the Mertink log home with additional protection and restoration to preserve its authenticity and integrity and give visitors an opportunity to understand and appreciate how early settlers utilized their skills and natural resources to survive in the Texas wilderness.
While at one time most Texas structures were built from hewn logs, today there are very few still existing. Surviving log homes, like the Kurio and
Mertink structures that are part of our museum complex, represent important and endangered emblems of a period in Texas history and whose preservation is crucial to sustaining an irreplaceable facet of our cultural landscape.
The Mertink log home is an example of the craftsmanship and skill of the Wendish settlers who built their homes from natural resources. Visitors
can examine the notched logs and pegs of this traditional 1800’s log structure and see how doors and windows were fashioned. In most cases, settlers had to create the equipment and tools they needed to build log structures. Original building tools and farming equipment may be seen in the display with the Mertink log home under the pavilion.
The project will include installation of a concrete floor under the entire pavilion to better preserve and protect the log home and the tools and
equipment on display. The permanent floor will enable the log home to be elevated and stabilized for interior and exterior display, and proper space will be created for display of the tools and equipment, and also allow space for additional items being offered to TWHS from Wendish families.
The total cost for this project is $19,850. So far, half of the funds needed for this project have been received through grants and donations. If you want
to volunteer to help with this project or donate funds, please contact Joyce at the Wendish Museum. Thank you.