Have you noticed the log cabin under renovation, just off of Highway 25, North of Centreville, and near the Stella Jones pole plant in Six Mile ?
About five years ago (2020) State Senator April Weaver and her husband Darrel acquired a well worn & dilapidated dwelling on property adjacent to their home, in the Six Mile area of Bibb County, Alabama. They were not sure what to do with the unattractive structure. They soon discovered that the aged house was hiding a priceless gem behind its worn interior and weathered exterior walls. None other than a pristine log cabin was lurking inside the walls, a priceless historic structure that may turn out to be one of the oldest surviving log cabins in the State of Alabama.
Serious restoration work has been underway for several months now to reveal the original log cabin structure and to restore the historic property. The Weaver’s research reveals the history of a structure that may have been erected by the Claybaugh family, on land eventually deeded by former U.S. President Andrew Jackson. The land patent deed to Claybaugh, recorded years after the Claybaugh’s relocation to Bibb County, follows the famous Creek Indian war that took place largely in Alabama.
The restoration work is being done by Gary Fields of Barnwood Life. You can see progress photos on his website at this link.
The Claybaugh’s were immigrants of original Germanic descent who followed the Scotch-Irish pathway of immigration to the United States in the Sixteenth Century, settling first in Maryland and then Tennessee. It appears that one set of the family arrived in Bibb County, Alabama as early as 1814. It is an exciting story.
John & Elizabeth Claybaugh, along with his father-in-law Henry Haggard, reportedly left Tennessee with their six children, in 1814, after John Claybaugh served under General Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. After seeing the beautiful Alabama territory during the indian conflict the family chose to return to settle in Alabama.
The Claybaugh history in Bibb County took several other turns and twists that will be of interest to historical readers.
This article and video offers a glimpse into the historic structure. As the work continues we will reveal more information about the history of the structure, the Claybaugh family and later owners of the historic property, and the progress of restoration.
The Weavers hope to have the Six Mile historic property restored as soon as this Fall 2025.
Keep reading Bibb Voice and Centreville Press for more information on this project.
