Hand Crafted Log Cabin with Modern Conveniences

Year Purchased: 2001

Why Nemo:
Creekside at The Pines is a beautiful setting rich in history. Part of the 280-acre Pines of Benchmark development, this property has roots dating back to the gold mining days and a tie-in to the former Lucky Strike mine which was nearby. On the property are multiple log structures, each of which was handcrafted onsite with logs harvested from the surrounding hills. The main cabin was built in the early 1970’s and the “bunkhouse” in the late 1950’s by the previous owner. According to county records, the barn was built around 1918. However, the county is unable to give an absolute date as the information they have was obtained from an owner in the 1940’s or early 1950’s. The barn roof was originally wood shakes and was replaced with the corrugated steel around 1960. The little old house (shack) that sits in the middle of the property was called the “black shack” because it was simply covered with tar paper. According to the daughter of the previous owner, the black shack originally sat across the creek somewhere to the west of the big pine tree. It is believed that someone having connections with Lucky Strike Mine once lived in the building. The current owners purchased the property in late 2001 after it had been vacant for several years. Since then they have been on a restoration mission and have turned Creekside at The Pines into their family cabin retreat. After installing a new well, septic system, bathrooms, and laundry facilities, the owners felt it was ready to share with others. Tourism rentals began in mid-2010. We hope you find the setting and character of this family retreat one that calls you back year after year.

The Unique Benefits at this Cabin:
More history . . . There was a small wood frame house where the main cabin sits today. The previous owners moved there in the mid-1950s and lived in this house while building the bunkhouse (approximately 1958.) We do not know why the bunkhouse is constructed of logs on the front half, and of 2x4 framing on the back half. The bunkhouse originally had a bedroom with a shower in the back of the garage, and a kitchen in the main living area of the log side of the structure. The original windows, doors, plumbing, and other construction materials were salvaged from buildings in the Nemo, Lead, and Deadwood area. When completed, the bunkhouse became the primary residence for the previous owners and they razed the old house. They built the main cabin on that site sometime in the early 1970’s. Like with the bunkhouse, many of the materials were salvaged from former buildings in the surrounding area. We know that the ceiling boards in the two bedrooms and garage came from an the old boarding house built for the Lucky Strike miners, originally located about a quarter mile down Benchmark Road to the west. A root cellar was built in the side of a hill which is now inside the garage of the main cabin. The date inscribed in the concrete says 1958. From all appearances it may have been built to also function as a fall-out shelter. The property had been uninhabited for several years when purchased 2001. The windows were falling apart and the chinking between the logs was crumbling. In order to save the buildings from further deterioration, the main cabin and the bunkhouse were re-chinked and new windows installed. Insulated steel roofs were added on top of the existing roofs, and the bunkhouse roof was extended to cover the stamped-concrete porch added on the front. The loft/attic was finished in 2008 and the staircase added. There were no windows in the attic prior to the remodel. The deck was added off the back in 2011 and kitchen remodeled November 2013.