Guilford's Log Cabins/Houses

In 1979, there were several log cabins, or more accurately called log houses, in Guilford. Three were on Oakland Mills Road and one of them was referred to as the “Guilford Log Cabin” on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places (HO-521). The term log cabin can conjure up cozy memories of camp sites or childhood stories of Abraham Lincoln growing up in a log cabin but sadly few still exist in the area.

Here in Howard County, a log house is featured in Ellicott City on Main Street and Ellicott Mills Drive first inhabited by Mr. Levi Gillis, and likely built by him, in the 1850s. It is often referred to as the Thomas Isaac Log Cabin although Thomas Isaac never lived in it and used it as a rental property, and he referred to it as “the lot purchased of Levi Gillis” in his 1882 will. See links below for more on this Ellicott City log house.

The aforementioned Guilford Log Cabin is thought to have been built before the civil war ended around 1864 and was located on the corner of Oakland Mills and Farm House Lane, facing west, where the FCC is located. The house didn’t look like a log structure since it was covered by “clapboard” which is basically weather boarding (see photo below). This was a fairly common practice for older log structures.

The HO-521 report mentioned 2 other log houses on Oakland Mills Road – one right across the street facing the Guilford Log Cabin and another closer to where Berger Road meets Oakland Mills that was the “Old Rectory at Christ Church” (HO-519). Sadly, none of these structures have survived.

But there is another log house that is still, so far, standing in the woods off of Route 1 near Mission Road. This log house is also on the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (HO-948) called “Log Structure”. It is just behind and west of the Log Cabin Restaurant (HO-827) that was owned by Melvin and Elizabeth Garrett and in February 2022 their family received recognition on their behalf with an Honorary Resolution as Living Legends by the Howard County Council. Ironically, there is no mentioned in HO-827 of this being an early African American owned restaurant nor the meeting place for the Waring Mitchell Law Society. The restaurant was demolished around 2008 (HO-827).

Like the Log Cabin Restaurant, the “Log Structure” was likely built in the 1920s around the early expansion of US Route1 sometimes known as the Atlantic Highway. What is cool is that it is still there, albeit difficult to get to and not the safest. You can see it from Log Cabin Rd by the Mission Place Apartments. This log house was decorated in odd ways and was kind of spooky. Check out some of the photos taken by Nathan Davis and myself.

There is still so much history to see in the Guilford area!