Still Standing

Just about every morning for the past 58 years, Adrian Atkins has woken up surrounded by the warmth and rugged charm of his Ward cedar log home. Adrian’s love for the Ward brand began when he was still in high school in the early 1950s. “My dad, a building contractor, took us to where they were making the logs,” he recalls. “It took us all day to tour the place, and I fell in love with it.” After becoming a civil engineer, Adrian also took on the title of Ward representative. In 1964, he built a five-bedroom Ward home to share with his wife and three children. (With open cathedral ceilings and the primary bedroom on the main, the design was ahead of its time.)

Since then, the couple has had the joy of sharing the home with their two (now grown) grandsons, and Adrian has helped others achieve the same dream he has been living out every day for nearly 60 years. He says the building methods — and the company’s track record of standing by their product — haven’t changed a bit over the years. “The homes are built with the same dried cedar. It resists insects, and it’s like nature’s styrofoam because of the insulation from the large wood cells,” he explains.

While Adrian admits no company can get it right 100 percent of the time, he says what makes Ward Cedar stand out is that they’re willing to make it right. “There is bound to be something go wrong sooner or later, but how they take care of it is what makes the difference,” he says.

At over half-a-century old, the Atkins’ home is just one of the many Ward log homes still marching on through the generations — living legends, if you will.

In fact, one of the original manufucated cabins built by Ward is still in use today in Yarmouth, Maine. Simplicity was the rule when the cabin was built in 1932, and like most cabins of the era, it features a simple rectangular design, anchored by a stone fireplace inside and a log truss front porch on the exterior. The cabin currently serves as an American Legion Hall.

About an hour north, a row of Ward cabins built in the 1930s are filled to the brim every summer with campers. As part of the Susan Curtis Camp, a charity in Maine committed to providing a summer camp experience to children facing economic hardship, these historic homes provide a place for underserved kids to create valuable life skills and lifelong memories.

These are just a few of the countless Ward cabins standing strong across America. These historic homes are a clear testament to the proven Ward method and are some of the best advertising we could have.

When our customers choose a Ward home, they know exactly what they’re getting. We build our homes today with the same materials and building practices that we used 100 years ago. White cedar logs that are naturally rot- and pest-resistant put together with our tried-and-true Comfort System 5™ log wall construction system are the cornerstone of every Ward Cedar log home. And, of course, our customer-first philosophy rooted in a commitment to integrity is as much a part of our ethos as it was way back when.

The homes we built nearly a hundred years ago are still going strong, and that means the home you build to enjoy with your family will be a legacy that lasts through the generations.

Start discussing your ideas for your log home or cabin, and reach out to our team today. We are ready to help you live your best life in a log or hybird/timber home today … and long into the future.

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