While Delmont officials are hoping to get the Shields Farm log cabin repaired sooner rather than later, they aren’t likely to use the replacement logs they paid about $3,000 to acquire.
Council voted 4-1 earlier this month to award a $12,000 contract to Amish work crew leader Elmer Hostetler to replace 10 logs which are part of the East Pittsburgh Street cabin. The scope of the work also includes repairs and re-chinking (replacing the flexible material that seals gaps between the logs).
The cabin was last repaired in 1998.
Hostetler’s expertise in log cabin work has brought him to the region before: he and a crew were hired by Murrysville officials in 2017 to make $65,000 in upgrades to the Staymates cabin off of Round Top Road, which dates back to the 1700s.
Council was considering awarding the work to another contractor, but the quote came with an additional $1,000 price increase and did not include re-chinking work.
“Also, he wouldn’t have been able to do the work until March 2020,” borough council President Andy Shissler said.
Council’s motion was to award the contract to Hostetler, contingent on his ability to perform the work in 2019.
Council will seek to sell the period-appropriate 18-foot logs it purchased previously, as Hostetler preferred not to use them.
“I think new wood is better,” Shissler said.
Councilman David Piper voted against awarding the contract.
