Forest Falls Cabin
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HISTORY |
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| The California Job's Daughters' Mountain Cabin is
nestled on 4 1/2 wooded acres of Federal land in the
breathtaking San Bernardino Mountains at Forest Falls, just 20
minutes north of Redlands.
The cabin was built in 1922 for the Forest Falls Fire Department. A private group of Santa Ana Masons acquired the cabin in the name of Job's Daughters in the 1940's. The historic, two story cabin is slightly less than 5000 square feet featuring a spacious stone entryway, a large multi-purpose room that includes an expansive stone fireplace, two bathrooms, and a large kitchen complete with commercial stove and grill. The second floor of the cabin is designed as a sleeping loft and can accommodate 30 to 40 overnight guests. Job's Daughters and other Masonic Groups enjoyed visiting the cabin and surrounding area for about 40 years. Then, for unknown reasons the cabin was abandoned in 1984 and was not heard of until a delinquent tax bill was sent to the Job's Daughters' Grand Secretary's office in 1992. We were given two options: 1) restore the cabin to use, or 2) completely remove the cabin and restore the land to original forest. The cost for either option was in the 40K bracket. At the Grand Guardian Council Session in 1997 it was voted to raise a start-up fund of $20,000. and then begin to restore the facility for use by Job's Daughters and the Masonic Family. |
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PROGRESS |
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| Restoration of the cabin was multifaceted. 1) We
are required to work with the U.S. Forest Department to meet
permit requirements, and meet the code requirements of San
Bernardino Department of Building Safety. Permission has been
obtained from the Forest Service to make repairs to the cabin as
long as they are within Federal guidelines, meet San Bernardino
County Code and their inspectors give approval.
2) A volunteer crew started cleaning. They removed 2 tons of trash. There is still one ton more to go. After their efforts the place doesn't look the same. 3) Restoration came next. The septic tank has been flushed and certified, the fireplace and chimney have been checked and are in good condition. Roof leaks and windows have been repaired. The bathrooms have new support beams and wood sub-flooring. An electrical permit has been secured and soon we will have lights and an alarm system and telephone service to the cabin. Water service has been restored to the cabin by the Forest Falls Water Company. Water is allotted on a share basis. Customers must pay an annual fee regardless of the usage. The water company has been both considerate and understanding, and has charged us a restart fee for only the past 5 years service instead of going back to 1984. Propane is the next utility we will seek. In addition, labor and materials to install protective covering on the windows has been provided. |
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PRESENT |
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| We have reached our goal of $20,000.00 and are now beginning to restore the cabin. There are and will continue to be many opportunities for donations. Supplies and/or equipment, volunteer workers and financial donations will be on our wish list for some time to come. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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