{"nrhp_refnum":"79003000","name":"West Log House","other_names":["Log Cabin at Old Salem"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"NE of Salem","address_restricted":false,"city":"Salem","county":"Newton County","state":"TX","lat":30.553488207000044,"lon":-93.75243024799994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-12-13","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A one-story pine log dwelling about one mile northeast of Salem (Old Salem) in Newton County, East Texas, built in 1847 by James West. It began as a single log room surrounded by a covered porch on three sides.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is a surviving example of a log building type important to the colonization and development of Texas. Its notching, roof profile, chimney and deep porches reflect East Texas conditions and the Deep Southern origins of settlers. Later porch enclosures are described as typical of how early log houses grew. Its forested setting helps protect its integrity.","narrative":"Deep in the East Texas pine forest near Old Salem in Newton County, this log house was built in 1847 by James West. It started as one room of unhewn pine logs with square-notched corners, set on wooden piers and ringed by a covered porch on three sides. The gable roof carries hand-split cypress shingles over pine sapling rafters, and an exterior 'cat' chimney of corner posts, poles and clay-and-moss mats stands on one gable wall. Later, the gable-end porch and parts of the front and back porches were enclosed with board-and-batten siding, adding rooms, doors and windows. The house is considered important as a surviving example of a frontier building type tied to settlement of Texas, with details that reflect local materials, climate and the Deep Southern background of its builders. It served as a dwelling until 1969 and was vacant at the time of listing, with restoration planned.","period_of_significance":"1847","architect_builder":"James West","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as vacant in the classification section; used continuously as a dwelling until 1969, with the owners planning restoration. A letter notes the logs are in good condition but the roof is in poor condition.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:18.8305-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/88/9730/40973088/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_TX/79003000.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/40973088","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q110000354"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/texas/newton-county/west-log-house-79003000/"}