WINSTON WEEKLY

November 15, 2026

Vol. 4, No. 46

DOGTROT DAYS[1]

For more than a century beginning in the late 1700’s, families in Kentucky, Missouri, South Carolina, and other warm climates lived in dogtrot houses. Built several feet above the ground, two structures connected by the same roof had an open breezeway. One structure featured the kitchen/dining areas and the other structure housed bedrooms and private living areas. Family dogs slept in the passage, enjoying the cross breezes to keep cool – hence the name. In Texas, the structures were commonly known as dog-run cabins.

Some dogtrot cabins remain standing. Although not original to the property, a cabin from the mid to late 1800’s in Hillsboro, Missouri was relocated more than fifty years ago to the First Missouri State Capital State Historic Site in St. Charles. Originally home to Joel Prior Booth, his wife, and their four children, the cabin was occupied by many other members of the Booth family for nearly a century. In 1969, the last member of the Booth family, Zoe Booth Rutledge, sold the property. The new owners donated the cabin to Missouri State Parks.

The Pot Point Cabin is preserved by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust. Although the cabin has undergone significant renovations during the past 40 years, part of the 1835 original structure remains. The original cabin was built from piece of a flat boat that wrecked on the Tennessee River.

Built by John and his son Henry in 1818 or 1820, the two-story John Looney Home remained in the Looney family until the late 1800’s. Acquired by the St. Clair Historical Society, it is located near Ashville, Alabama.

THIS WEEK’S ACTIVITY

Take a closer look at homestead life long before electricity and air conditioning. Consider how you would adjust and adapt to living arrangements that may be vastly different than your current housing.

---

[1] Winston Weekly is a weekly blog and newsletter by Alysen Bayles of Bayles Connect: “Learn, live, love, read.” Resources: Maggie Burch, What Is A Dogtrot House?, Southern Living, Jan. 6, 2026; W.W. White, Understanding the Dog-Run Cabin: A Unique Texas Home, Texas State Historical Association; The Historical Marker Database, www.hmdb.org; www.trgy.org; Rick Laws, House of the Messenger, Lulu.com, April 28, 2025; www.theforgottensouth.org.