A before photo of Beaver Jim Villines’ Boyhood Home, located in Ponca, being prepared for structural repairs/NPS

A portal into 19th-century life along the Buffalo River in Arkansas is being revived by the National Park Service, which is rehabilitating an 1850-log cabin that was the boyhood home of Beaver Jim Villines, a fur trapper and farmer.

Beaver Jim was born in 1854 to William and Rebecca Villines, who set up farming in the Boxley Valley around 1850.

Last week, staff at Buffalo National River took the first steps towards stabilizing and rehabilitating the his boyhood home. In 2022, a tree fell and damaged the roof of the log cabin and compromised the integrity of the historic structure.

An after photo of Beaver Jim Villines’ Boyhood Home with the roof and lean-to sections removed/NPS

“Buffalo National River is excited to begin the first round of stabilizing and rehabilitating historic structures that capture the essence of our Ozark heritage,” said Superintendent Angela Boyers. “The Beaver Jim Villines’ Boyhood Home will be the first structure to be rehabilitated with numerous other projects to follow, including the Granny Henderson Cabin and the Buffalo Point historic cabins.”

Buffalo National River crews have removed the damaged roof and adjoining lean-to sections of the cabin, leaving the log portion of the building and chimney remaining in place. In the coming weeks, the National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Training Center (HPTC) will complete an assessment of the structure. Rehabilitation work by the HPTC is expected to begin this winter, making the cabin safe and accessible to the public again.