Hodges Cabin hosting family reunion

Descendants of Bartholomew Hodges are going to be gathering for their 2023 reunion at the Hodges Cabin on Saturday, May 27.

Event Chairman Wayne Hodges said, "The Hodges clan will gather a little before noon at the historic 1805 Hodges Cabin Saturday, May 27, for dinner on the grounds."

"The cabin is a portal to over two centuries of living. It has been undergoing extensive restoration over the past two years in order to ensure its future," he said in advance of the reunion.

Bartholomew Hodges, in 1805, used a team of oxen to clear forest along Fisher River to build his cabin. The Hodges cabin is one of the oldest and most architecturally significant houses in Surry County that is a draw for local residents and tourists alike.

The one-and-a-half story, double-pen log house gains its primary significance from the log wall overhang with runs across east and west (front and rear) sides of the house above first-story level. This feature is both unique in Surry County and rare in North Carolina's architectural history.

Other details which are probably original are the tiny loft window next to the chimney in the south gable and the wood-shingled pent eave which once sheltered the south wall beneath the gable.

The upper floor was built so that the logs protruded about a foot over the first floor. This allowed owners to remove a plank in the overhang and fire rifles down at marauding animals or Indians. A separate kitchen burned many years ago, and the hot blaze threatened the main structure as well. But it was winter, and the owners used snowballs to douse the flames on the house.

This unusual home is still in Hodges family ownership and participants of the sestercentennial, Surry 250, bus tours made a stop at the Hodges Cabin where members of the family greeted visitors as they likely have for years.

Inside the cabin is a snapshot to another era with relics along every line of sight that recall its long history and many occupants.

Hodges asked that family members take a covered dish.