McGovern Residence

McGovern Residence circa 1989

Evelyn and Bill McGovern carrying one of the final rafter beams up the driveway. I barely remember this truck from my childhood. The cab smelled like dirt, pine and cigarettes and there was a red and cream saddle blanket that covered the front seat. The saddle blanket is still around, and now lives on the porch swing. 

There are three souls in our family. This here is Paulo, an indoor cat his whole life up until this past weekend when he was able to explore the cabin and grounds freely. He really impressed us with his bravery, following us around the entire property while we worked. Apartment kitty is now a cabin cat!

Erected in 1975, the quonset hut was the first structure Bill McGovern built on his property along the Tucannon River. The funny little building originally stored building materials that would later make up much of the interior features of the main cabin. The back room doubled as his daughter’s bedroom before the cabin was move-in ready and then a distant uncle called the hut home for a couple summers. It’s a little run-down and gets super hot during the day, but with a few alterations should transition nicely into its future role as a productive greenhouse. 

As a kid my grandparents had a pretty extensive horn collection nailed to the cellar but the previous owners took them all down. After moving them to a pile down on the river flat, most of them were destroyed when the fire came through last year.  Fortunately we were able to salvage a few and get them back up where they belong. 

I’m not sure what changed his mind, but after a few years the pigeons were sold off and the coop converted into a guest house complete with twin beds and its own fire burning wood stove. The building has been largely neglected for the past 10 years and we question it’s structural integrity at this point. Hopefully with some retrofitting it can be saved, but if not, odds are it will be rebuilt. 

Abandoned log cabin realness. Upstairs loft at the McGovern Residence, this is how it looked when we first arrived. Exciting changes to come. 

Martinez, our @bestmadeco axe, has finally found his forever home. Now it’s time to find him a big brother (or sister)

Recently through a twist in fate my parter, Derrick, and I were able to buy the cabin back.  We’re working tirelessly to restore the property to it’s former glory and over the next few years we will turn The McGovern Residence into a multifaceted artist resort with organic farm, studio space, bed and breakfast, and cabin rentals. We’ll also be developing the McGovern lifestyle brand of bath, body, and home goods made with natural resources gleaned from the land. The entire process will be documented along the way and we are beyond excited to share the experience with everyone here and on Instagram. Say hi if you like what you see; we’re always on the lookout for members of the same tribe. 

Crystal Crag rises high above Lake George in California’s Mammoth Lakes area. The tree is a Jeffrey pine.  THE PACIFIC COAST | Ray Atkeson ©1971

The Founders Group is one of several groves of giant sequoias that can be visited on the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park. The trees grow only on the western slope of the Sierras at elevations of 4,000 to 8,000 feet.  THE PACIFIC COAST | Ray Atkeson ©1971

Ecola State Park on the Oregon coast. THE PACIFIC COAST | Ray Atkeson ©1971

America’s Wonderlands | National Geographic ©1959

Mt. Hood, Oregon THE PACIFIC COAST | Ray Atkeson ©1971

THE PACIFIC COAST | Ray Atkeson ©1971