Hocking House, Logan

The oak cabin nestled along state Route 664 South in the Hocking Hills is easy for drivers to miss as they head toward a long weekend at Old Man’s Cave Campground or an afternoon of hiking at Conkle’s Hollow.

Those who do notice are quickly drawn to the gardens filled with a colorful assortment of perennials and the terra-cotta stepping stones leading up to the structure’s front door.

“Some people stop because they think we’re a bed-and-breakfast,” says Logan-based potter Jean Magdich, who transformed the log cabin into Hocking House fine craft gallery in 1983. The rustic feel of the historic cabin complements the blown-glass vases, sandstone sculptures, wind chimes and other pieces created by more than 20 artists from across the country, along with the clay stepping stones that Magdich is known for.

Although not original to the site, the cabin, which is more than 150 years old, is native to the area and has been well preserved. It was moved to its current location 40 years ago from a nearby campground. Magdich, a native of Newark, Ohio, who earned her bachelor of fine arts degree at Miami University, knew immediately it would be the ideal location to launch her business.

“There was a house, an outbuilding to use as a pottery studio, a large pond filled with fish, a log cabin to turn into a gallery store and a nice long driveway where my children could safely ride their bikes,” she says.

Magdich and her husband, John Uhl, whom she calls “my groundskeeper,” live in the house. In addition to what’s for sale inside the gallery, Magdich has created an expansive series of outdoor “rooms” using the flow of plantings and placement of art to lead visitors from one area to the next.

“I like to garden, and [the art] all goes around a garden,” Magdich says. “I’m either making things out of dirt or digging in the dirt. ... I’m earthbound.” 

Visit website for seasonal hours. 29580 Big Pine Rd., Logan 43138, 740/385-4166, hockinghouse.com