The dogtrot cabin was a common style of rural home in the South during the 1800s. The dwelling would often begin as a single-room log cabin with the attic used as a sleeping loft. As the family grew, a second log cabin would be built and the two cabins would then be joined by a common roof and a wood floor between them. The covered open-air passage between the cabins became known as a “dogtrot”. It not only served to link the cabins, but it also allowed a breeze to flow through the house which helped with tolerating the hot, humid summers. Many dogtrot cabins also had a full-length porch across the front.
Shown is a dogtrot log cabin in the Broadhead Memorial Park that’s located at Needham, AL in Choctaw County. This cabin was built using two Choctaw County homes that were donated to the park. The longleaf yellow pines that provide the framework are from the 1854 Clanaham-Gibson home that was located in the Tallawampa community in southeast Choctaw County. Other materials for the cabin are from the 1877 W. Felix and Winnie Wright home that was located in Needham.
The Broadhead Memorial Park is located along the creek on both side of the main road at downtown Needham (31°59’14.6″N 88°19’55.1″W – Google Maps)
Source: interpretive markers located on the Dogtrot Log Cabin