Richardson Log Cabin

Richardson Log Cabin is a historic building that was built in 1902 (or 1903), by George H. Richardson, an Alameda attorney. The structure is recognized as significant as one of the oldest residential buildings in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California and the earliest known residence of American poet Robinson Jeffers and his wife Una. It was nominated by the Carmel City Council and a historical building and an application was submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources on May 20, 2002.

Richardson log cabin


In 1903, George H. Richardson, an attorney from Alameda, California, built a log cabin vacation home in a grove of pine and eucalyptus trees and on Monte Verde Street between 5th and 4th Avenues in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. It was one of only a few log houses in early Carmel. In 1914, Robinson Jeffers and his wife Una, rented it as their first home in Carmel after being married in 1913. While living at this cabin, Jeffers wrote and published, with The Macmillan Company, his second book of poetry named Californians.

The structure is a small 600 sqft one-story, log cabin, L-shaped residence on a raised log base, on a 2600 sqft lot. Exterior walls have hand-hewn logs that are saddle-notched at each end, mortared with cement. The western facing side has a flight of stone and split-log stairs, with a handrail that led to the open porch and entrance to the home. The wood-blank door is set back from the porch. The front gable roof with wood shingles extends over the entry. There is a large eave-wall brick chimney that is stuccoed over. Multi-paned wood casement windows are visible on the west side of the front. Alterations to the cabin were made by various owners. They include a large glass skylight to the living room done in the 1960s, permitted repairs in 1971 by Walter Tancill, and the porch was replaced in the 1990s. Both the wooden stairs and porch have collapsed. The log cabin is deteriorated and is uninhabitable; 75% of the log cabin has been damaged by termites, beetles, and fungus.

On April 19, 1940, Unna Jeffers wrote a column in the Carmel Pine Cone, about their earliest years at the Richardson log cabin:

"So began our happy life in Carmel, full and over full of joy from the first. For a long time we knew no one, but we were busy from morning till night anyway. Robin was writing poetry, his reputation yet to make; I was studying certain aspects of late 18th Century England and receiving from the State Library, priceless packages of old and rare books on my subject. There was housework, and continual wood chopping to fill the maw of the great fireplace in our drafty cabin. We bought simple textbooks on flowers, shells, birds, and stars, and used them. We explored the village street by street, followed the traces of the moccasin trail through the forest, and dreamed around the crumbling walls about the old mission. When we walked up from the shore at sunset scarfs of smoke drifting up from hidden chimneys foretold our own happy supper and evening by the fire. It was pleasant to sniff the air and recognize the pungent scent of eucalyptus, the faint, somehow nostalgic quality of burning oak, the gunpowdery smell of driftwood, redwood like ripe apricots, and keener than all, the tonic resin of pitch pine."

In 1914, Una wrote to Edward G. Kuster's wife Edith, telling her how excited she and Jeffers were about Carmel and invited Edith to visit them. Edith wrote:

"I couldn’t get there fast enough. Una and Robin met me at the train in Monterey. I peered eagerly out of the window and saw that beautiful bay filled with little blue Spanish and Italian fishing boats... Robin picked up my bags and put them underneath the seat of the surrey Una was driving. I marveled at Una–she handled those two spirited horses so expertly…As we drove up the steep grade toward Carmel, Una stopped to let the horses rest and to point out to me the Monterey Bay behind us–a perfect, blue crescent, one of the most beautiful bays in the world. To the east of it, behind a black line of pine trees, is Del Monte. When we reached Carmel, we got out and left the horses at Hodges, then Gould’s, Livery Stable. We walked the rest of the way down the joyous little path to the log cabin…The log cabin era is one of my most beautiful memories. The cabin was not large, a living room with and enormous fireplace, one bedroom and bath and an excessively small kitchen. Una cooked all the meals on an old iron stove. She did it so gaily."

After Jeffers had lived less than one year in the Richardson Log Cabin, Jeffers’s father, Reverend Dr. William Hamilton, passed away. He had created a trust that provided an income of $200 a month for his widow, and their two sons.

Richardson eventually moved back to the cabin with his wife. He became a violinist where he entertained other musicians in his home. He died in April 1926 at his cabin after a long illness.

Trethaway cottage


In 1917, Jeffers and his family rented a second wood frame house after the birth of their twins Donnan and Garth. This home was built for Adelaide J. Trethaway in 1914. It had view of Carmel Point.

In 1919, Jeffers bought land at Carmel Point, off Scenic Road that was one of the family’s favorite picnic spots. In mid-May they contracted Mike Murphy to build them a stone cottage at Carmel Point, that would become Tor House and Hawk Tower.

Historic evaluation
The building has been nominated by the Carmel City Council and submitted to the California Register of Historical Resources (DPR 523 Form) on May 20, 2002, by Kent L. Seavey. The property is significant under the California Register criterion 2, as the earliest known Carmel residence of poet Robinson Jeffers; and criterion 3, as one of the earliest residential houses in Carmel and one of the few log cabins remaining. Jeffers worked at his poetry and completed and published the Californians in 1916, while living at the cabin. It is possible that drawings could be made from the cabin, then torn down and rebuilt with similar logs and materials in compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's standards for the treatment of historic properties.

On May 21, 2018, the city of Carmel-by-the-Sea Historic Resources Board met at Carmel City Hall to discuss the historic evaluation of the Richardson log cabin. In addition, the current owners, John & Carrie Simpson, are in the process of selling the property and hired a historian, Anthony Kirk, Ph.D, to conduct a separate survey of the property, which was recorded on May 3, 2018 with the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR 523 Form).