The house was a labor of love, built single-handedly by an eccentric engineer named Francis Lee Smith.
Smith spent twelve years building the log house using timber salvaged from a wildfire on the nearby Rattlesnake Mountain.
The house wasnt even remotely cozy.
There was no running water, or plumbing or electricity, except that provided by asmall generator.
A wood burning stove on the bottom floor was the only source of heat.
The stove was also used to cook meals.
The family dining table was a large tree stump, with smaller stumps around it as chairs.
Plenty ofwild animalsmade the mansion their home when the family was still living.
After a few years his wife had enough of this hobo-like living and divorced Smith.
She took the kids and moved to another town.
The kids continued to visit their father and occasionally spent nights in the house.
His body wasnt discovereduntil two days later.
Since his death, the mansion has been sitting empty and abandoned.
Exposed to the elements, the wooden structure has slowly started to rot and decay.
Vandals have also caused some damage.
Photo credit: Alan Rogers
