The Keene Lillard Log House was built about 1815 by Charles Lake Keene, a Revolutionary War Soldier who moved from Gallatin County from Maryland around 1803. He and his wife, Margery West Keene and their ten children lived in this two story double pen log house located on a ridge at the western edge of the county. The youngest, Margaret, married Joseph Lillard, a soldier during the Mexican-American War.
For almost 200 years, it was home to many families. Modern conveniences and wood siding were added to the house just off Knox-Lillard Road but at the turn of the 21st century it was empty. That is when the owner Kenny Cozine transferred it to Darrell Maines, who in turn donated it to the Gallatin County Historical Society.
The entire house was moved, log by log, to Warsaw in 2007. Local craftsman Rick Peck, Gary Peck, Dan Berkshire and sons, Steve Walker, and Jerry Wallin reconstructed and completed work to bring the cabin back to life.
The layout of the house, and the staircase entered through a locked door, were built on the frontier, western edge of the county.
Furnishings that span the years the cabin were occupied, from a mammy bench by the fireplace to the rope bed upstairs, were donated by family and historical society members.
Donations from the Mountjoy family, the McDanell family, descendants of Charles Lake Keene, the Gallatin County Fiscal Court, Gallatin County Tourism, the City of Warsaw, local businesses, and members of the historical society made this project possible.
