by Claudia Johnson, Honest Abe Log Homes
Honest Abe Log Homes is gearing up for a grand opening weekend at the Crossville Honest Abe Model Home Center, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. and a Housewarming Celebration beginning at 2 p.m. on Nov. 8.
Sharron Bilbrey, sales manager at Honest Abe’s Crossville location, explained that the activities are designed to highlight Honest Abe’s eye-catching new model home on Crabtree Road visible from Interstate 40 near Exit 320.
Honest Abe Crossville Sales Model
With 3,000 square feet of living space surrounded by 1,700 square feet of covered porch, the new Crossville Honest Abe Model Home Center incorporates both log and timber frame elements. The exterior of the house combines the use of traditionally dovetailed Eastern White Pine logs with elements of the Craftsman style, including rock pylons, double wooden porch posts and exposed trusses underneath a wide front gable.
The model, which presents two front entrances with two very distinctive looks, is the original design of Honest Abe’s designer Michael Hix.
“Mike took a variety of elements that customers want to see when making a decision about a log or timber frame home and incorporated them into one large project,” Bilbrey said. “The home can be used to educate potential clients as they work toward creating their final design.”
Josh Beasley, president of Honest Abe Log Homes said that the overall project was much broader in scope than the construction of a new model. To make room for the large building, Honest Abe, which has had a presence in Crossville since 1993, sold and moved two existing log homes, reworked utilities and performed extensive site preparation.
“Crossville has been such a supportive community that it was an easy decision to reinvest in our location there,” Beasley said, pointing out that the Smith family, who has owned the company for 35 years, recognized that Honest Abe’s facilities in Crossville “no longer fully reflected the quality and craftsmanship of our log and timber homes.”
Beasley said that since the company’s founding in 1979, Honest Abe has designed and manufactured more than 6,000 log and timber frame homes for clients across North America as well as Europe, the Far East and South America.
“Over time the expectations of our customers have changed, and that is reflected in the design and style of the new Crossville model,” Beasley said. “While we still commonly build simple ranch-style homes, many of our clients now look for more creative concepts, utilizing a variety of natural products.”
Beasley said that to build an example of “creativity and excellence” for potential clients, Honest Abe hired more than 30 craftsmen and suppliers with experience in log and timber frame home construction
“Thankfully, we have a good base of quality contractors and product suppliers in our area,” Beasley said. “We used local companies and craftsmen within the Upper Cumberland as often as possible, not only to create wholesome partnerships and support local business, but also to exemplify to customers just what is possible through our local contacts.”
Beasley said that future plans for the home include inclusion as a tourist stop and as a venue for nonprofit community activities.
All Crossville Honest Abe Model Home Center grand opening weekend activities are free and open to the public and include tours, refreshments and door prizes. For more information call 931-456-9893 or visit www.honestabe.com.
