Escape the present...experience the past!
About Us
Log Cabin Village is a living history museum owned and operated by the City of Fort Worth. The Village is dedicated to the preservation of 19th c. folk architecture and frontier lifeways.
Our Mission
The purpose of Log Cabin Village is to educate the public through the collection, preservation and interpretation of artifacts, representative structures, and other items of social and cultural significance to Texas’ pioneer era (1840-1890).
Our Vision
Log Cabin Village aspires to build connections to 19th century Texas by providing educational opportunities and sensory experiences that are engaging, accurate, and as authentic as possible.
We invite you to escape the present and experience the past… right here in the heart of Fort Worth. We can’t wait to see you here!
History
In the 1950s, the Village was a project of the Pioneer Texas Heritage Committee and members of the Tarrant County Historical Society. Members of these organizations realized that log structures, which were prevalent in the 1800s, were rapidly vanishing from the Texas landscape – and a portion of Texas history was vanishing with them. That is why they decided to create a Village dedicated to log cabin culture, history and preservation.
Six log houses, dating back to the mid 1800s, were selected from the North Texas region, moved to the present site, and restored in the 1950s to early 1960s. The Village was then donated to the City of Fort Worth, and it opened to the public in 1966. The Foster Cabin, an impressive 1850s plantation log house, was added in 1974 and the 1870s Marine School in 2003. The restoration of the Reynolds Smokehouse, relocated to the Village in 2004 from Azle, was completed in 2005.
Today, each of the historic structures, furnished with authentic artifacts, provides a vivid look at life in the nineteenth century North Texas frontier. Each log house displays different aspects of pioneer life. The exhibits include a water-powered gristmill, a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, an herb garden, and several log home settings. Historical interpreters, who are City of Fort Worth staff and volunteers, depict the lifestyle of the people who lived and settled the area in the mid to late 1800s.
Log Cabin Village also manages the Van Zandt Cottage, a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Cottage is currently undergoing restoration through a partnership between the City of Fort Worth and the Van Zandt Cottage Friends, Inc. Stay tuned for progress on this exciting project.
