The House that Johnnie Built

I was always impressed that Uncle John collected colorful rock from Eastern Oregon to build the stone fireplace in his Woahink Lake house, but Jon tells me that the house was scavenged from a great deal more:

     Johnny's Retirement Home on Woahink Lake: It might be said with some degree of accuracy, that the house 'hanging over the edge' of Woahink Lake was made of 'driftwood'.....and other 'scavenged' materials. By the 1972 starting date of the house, lumber cut during the 1945 to 1950 sawmill operation had been used for other things.... with the exception of a few myrtle & maple gun stock blanks, and some choice Port Orford Cedar 'boat' lumber.

Between the mid-60's and the 1972 starting date of the 'Woahink Lake' house, Johnnie kept his eye out for 'bargain lumber.' Due to some mishap concerning a train crossing one of the arms of Siltcoos Lake, a quantity of high quality sheathing plywood went into the lake. When & where available, he would buy this from the people who salvaged it. Later, a barge on its way to Hawaii broke loose going over the bar and it's load was scattered on the beach. That too was purchased &/or gathered into his 'new' 4-wheel drive Jeep pickup. Forest Service permits were obtained, and 'old growth' red cedar was cut, sawn, & split into shingles & shakes for roofs & siding. 

The house was octagonal, based on a plan in a magazine.....only reduced proportionately in total size.

As time went on, things like ramps were installed to accommodate decreased mobility due to age & ailments.

A few years before the house was sold (when Johnny moved to Shorewood), Dean, cousin Arnold, & Jon replaced the deck (Arnold & Jon were mostly 'steppin & fetchin' for Dean, the builder). 
     Based on his observation with the Engelwood house, that traditional open fireplaces remove more heat than is added, Johnny had a heatalator (sp?) installed in the fireplace of the new house on the lake. He also installed glass doors, and piped combustion air into the firebox from outside the house. Every few years he would replace a 'heat shield' in the firebox to protect the low portions of the heatalator. In keeping with using recycled materials, he faced the fireplace with obsidian rock which was gathered in central &/or eastern Oregon. The mantel was of myrtle or maple from the sawmill days. A fire started in the late afternoon would still have the house warm the next morning.