Retired Navy Chaplain Fred Renfroe took our class in 1991 and decided to build a log home. But he thought he'd start with a dog house for the family pet first.
That went pretty well, so next he decided to build something a little bigger -- a 30 by 30' log home that would later become the garage and workshop. But he built it with two full stories, septic, water, etc., so that it could also be used as an apartment or guest house later on.
The garage took 3 months to build, from start to finish. So he decided to set his sites on something bigger -- a massive 6,776 square foot home that would double as a spiritual retreat for Fred's ministry. What he ended up with is amazing -- a beautiful log home that he built with his wife Carol and their children.
Fred is a stickler for numbers, and he kept track of the weight of all of the building materials that make up this house. He says that it weighs over 250,000 pounds, and that if you had a crane big enough, you could lift it up and move it in one piece. But it would have to be a big crane. The concrete roof tiles alone weigh about 35 tons!
The house and garage are made up of exactly 269 logs, which Fred bought for $14,000 (including delivery). He could have used the trees from his own property, but he decided to purchase the logs instead so that he could keep his own property in its natural, untouched state.
The Renfroe family made use of lots of reclaimed lumber throughout the building process, both to save money and also to save the environment. Nearly all of the wood in the house comes from the wood that was delivered in the initial batch of logs.
All we can say is -- WOW! There are over 8,500 square feet of buildings plus another 1,800 square feet of decks and patios on this property. All of it was built by Fred, Carol, and their children. Congratulations to Fred Renfroe and family -- 2006 Exceptional Log Home Award winners!
(Click the photos for a larger view)
Above: A beautiful gable dormer that leads to Fred's office and lets in lots of light.
Below: Here's a good view of the 35-ton tile roof.
Would you like to see the inside? Click below to continue with the tour.
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