It was built during the second half of the 18th century and has been most commonly attributed to Robert Neill (Neal), with an estimated construction date possibly anywhere from 1765 to 1795.

[4][5][6] This estimate is based on architectural evidence as well as the large increase in value of the land during Neill's period of ownership which would indicate he made substantial improvements.

Recently sources and documents have shown the last name to be Neal, Neel, Niel, or Neil, with the former being the most common.

Edit Summary Strong justification for removing wording of final sentence, “This has prompted a discussion with the members of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society and Friends of the Neill Log House ….” is because there is no reference to this assertion, nor do I believe there ever was any private or public discussion by anyone from either organization to request a name change, as stated.

And the second paragraph of our proposed edit is submitted to justify that there was, in fact, much inconsistency in the naming of the log house from the late 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century, as cited, to address the opening statement in the existing post, that “Prior to 1969, the structure was generally known as the Neal house.”

“Naming” Edit post submitted by Tony Indovina, board member and contributor Squirrel Hill Historical Society, and President Friends of Neill Log House, incorporated October, 2020; assistance from researchers SHHS (squirrelhillhistory.org / History of The Neill Log House)

Proposed Edit, “Naming” paragraph, Neill Log House During the reconstruction of the log house in 1969, Pittsburgh History & Landmark Foundation (PHLF) initially put a sign by the house identifying it as “The Neal Log House.” Shortly afterward, PHLF changed the spelling to Neill, based on research published by Charles Covert Arensberg, then-president of PHLF, in a 1969 article in Western Pennsylvania History magazine , the official publication of the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, now the Heinz History Center.

In research that appears on the Neill Log House page of the Squirrel Hill Historical Society (SHHS) website, squirrelhillhistory.org, SHHS acknowledges that although Neal is the preferred ancestral spelling by some of Robert’s descendants, most references to the house in books and newspaper articles from the beginning of Schenley Park in the late 19th century through the beginning of the 20th century were the Schneider or Snyder Log Cabin (named after the last tenants of the log house).

4 “History of Log Cabin In Schenley Park Reveals Story of Indian Battle Fought During Wedding.” The Pittsburgh Press, January 31, 1925, Section 8.

(Care of Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition, shuc.org) The site of the Neill (Neal) house was part of a 262-acre (106 ha) tract owned by Ambrose Newton.

[11] After the Treaty of Fort Stanwix nullified the Iroquois Confederacy's legal title to southwestern Pennsylvania, the land was opened to settlers.

Robert was the son of John and Margaret Neal, who emigrated from Ulster Ireland and on June 8, 1738, purchased 200 acres of land in Paxtang Township, Lancaster County Pennsylvania (now Dauphin County) near Harrisburg Pennsylvania, for “fifteen pounds and ten shillings for each hundred acres” which they called “Neal’s Garden”.

[6] The large increase in the value of the property during Neill's ownership has been cited as evidence that the log house was most likely constructed during this period.

It is said that “When they shook hands in Clarksville, the Lewis and Clark Expedition began.” More crew members were added and they traveled to winter quarters outside of St. Louis, in final preparation to journey west.

May of 1803 was Lewis’ second trip to Pittsburgh, having traveled earlier as a young Virginian volunteer to put-down the Whiskey Rebellion.

On both trips, he journeyed from Maryland to Pittsburgh on the ancient Nemacolin Indian Trail, later called Braddock’s Road.

There is also evidence that Lewis later traveled with two wagons, by the Neal Log House, on his last 4 miles overland to the Point.

Early travelers on the Nemacolin Trail through what is now Schenley Park would water their horses at Snyder’s Springs, source of the historic Catahecassa Fountain at the Neal Log House.

"[5] In the late 1960s, the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation (PHLF) was seeking funding to restore the Neill house and open it to the public.

The restoration team used period-correct techniques as much as possible, including attaching the rafters with wooden pegs and chinking the walls by hand.

[17] The Neill house is a one-story, gable-roofed building constructed from hewn oak logs on a fieldstone foundation.

Architectural historian Charles Morse Stotz wrote that the house is "of typical Pennsylvania type log construction, with the corners carefully notched together and chinked with stone and clay," also noting that the "shaped and beveled projecting ends of the roof rafters are worthy of especial notice.

The house is held together by means of notches and pegs rather than nails and the floor is constructed from split logs, known as puncheons, with the flat surface oriented upward.

The Craftsman magazine reported that this type of window was used as "constant danger of attack by Indians compelled the settler to build for defense as well as comfort."