Sycamore Camp

'Cabin' is a word that has come to describe pretty much any house in a rural area, but it's rare to find an actual historic log cabin that's been fully updated to modern standards. Sycamore Camp was originally built in 1934 as a one-room hunting cabin, and it was constructed from rough-carved logs and was without running water and heated only by a hand-cut stone fireplace. In the 1980s, as the Pocono Mountains became a popular destination for skiers and outdoor sports-enthusiasts from Philadelphia & New York, the cabin's living space was expanded with the grafted addition of a simple 900 sq ft ranch house extension to add 3 bedrooms and a full bath, allowing for year-round vacationing on the site. The two structures were never integrated, however, and the original 1930s structure remained unheated and was only used seasonally as a kids rec-room, and it continued to decay. In 2021, Sycamore Camp was fully gutted and rebuilt to finally marry the two halves of the structure into one unified modern house. After shoring up a collapsing foundation, the walls between the 1930s house and the 1980s house were removed to allow for the addition of a second full bath and new laundry closet, and an unnecessary back door was integrated into the new bathroom's shower as a large window. The original log cabin was reinvented as the living room of the 'new' cabin, and the low ceiling was raised and insulated with spray foam and a new ventless gas fireplace installed to allow for year-round comfort. A wide, windowed hallway finally connects the old cabin to the open kitchen and bedroom wing of the house. The new modern 'Sycamore Camp' now serves as a family vacation home and Airbnb, and is finished with a quirky mix of comfortable modern furnishings and curated pieces & decor from local Pennsylvania vintage sources. All in, the complete 2021 reinvention including permitting, foundation excavation & reconstruction, construction labor & materials, installation of a central HVAC system, new appliances, and all furnishings & fixtures, the total project was completed for under $170,000.