Butler Historical Society collections manager Sara Dickensheets works with volunteers to restore Cooper Cabin in Cabot Saturday. Historical Society members hope to have the site, built in the 1800s, back open to vistitors later this year.

Volunteers from the Butler Historical Society spent Saturday cleaning and restoring Cooper Cabin in Cabot.

“This is day one of a long process,” said society executive director Jennifer Ford.

Volunteers spent the day mowing the lawn and cleaning the cabin's interior. The cabin is home to a collection of artifacts and furniture from the period.

When the restoration is complete, visitors will be able to see what the building looked like when it was home to the Coopers.

Built in the early 1800s, just a decade after Butler County was created, the cabin remained under the ownership of the Cooper family until it was given to the Historical Society in 1976.

Samuel Cooper purchased a tract of land and the shell of a log structure near modern-day Cabot, then added a roof, doors, and windows to create a proper house.After the Civil War, Samuel's son, John, added a two-story section to the original house. John's daughter, Nancy, resided there until her death in 1963, just shy of her 102nd birthday. A fiercely independent woman, Nancy lived without gas, electricity, or indoor plumbing her entire life.In recent years the cabin has been minimally used for events and tours — it was closed completely during COVID restrictions.Historical Society members and staff plan to reopen it later this year for tours and events.“It wasn't being used to its full potential,” said Sara Dickensheets, society collections manager, describing its usage even prior to the pandemic.The Cooper Cabin Homestead has been maintained by the Butler County Historical Society since 1976.

Cooper Cabin.