When the Kline family purchased the home in 1948, a freestanding log cabin lacking its roof and chimney, stood just a few feet to the south of the kitchen.  The cabin was razed between 1948 and 1956, but thankfully these photos were taken to document its existence. 

The exact purpose of the log structure is unknown.  George Chrisman may have needed a temporary dwelling while the stone house was under construction.  If this was his first shelter, then it is conceivable that the cabin would have been relegated for use as a summer kitchen or slave quarters once the stone house was completed.   It is rumored that the foundation of slave quarters lies just below ground level somewhere to the south of the house, and census information confirms that the Chrismans were slave owners.  

George's older brother John had 300 acres of adjoining land; maybe George lived with his brother's family while he was working on the stone house.  The cabin may have been originally intended for use as a cook house or slave quarters, and not as a dwelling.  Owner Dan Pinnell has found that 18th century German builders of hewn log structures in the Shenandoah Valley seem to favor the "half dovetail" corner notch.  It is his opinion that the "V notch" on the Chrisman cabin would more appropriately attribute it to a post-1800 construction date.