Built in 1792, this log structure served as a refuge fort for settlers in the area during times of threat or attack, sometimes sheltering 30 to 50 people under attack by Indians. When it was not being used for fortification, a family lived in the building, and in those early years travelers, new settlers, trappers, and traders often stayed there as well. Firing holes or shooting ports around the room provided fields of fire, though the one to the right of the fireplace had a limited view because of the chimney, while a shuttered wood pass to the left of the fireplace provided an additional larger field of fire. The second floor served mainly as storage and sleeping space, and its windows opened to allow a larger field of fire during attack and air flow on hot summer days.