Building Possum Lodge



A few years back, Paul Churella purchased a wooded lot from his parents, it was part of the old family farm. Paul spent two years working on the site. With just a chainsaw and stump puller, Paul cleared out a special place for his new home. During the two years that it took Paul to clear the land, he met and married his wife Rhonda. Together they did a lot of research looking for the perfect home. Paul was not sure whether they were going to do stick built, modular or log. He researched them all and by the time he had finished his research, he chose a log home. "The stick built home and modular were just too expensive." said Paul.

Paul started to research companies and do cost comparisons with different log home packages, he finally decided on the Fairfield from Coventry Log Homes, Inc in Woodsville, NH. "I looked at a lot of log home packages from various companies" Paul said, "Coventry had the best package, other companies had cheaper packages but they were not as complete as Coventry’s. Some you had to buy your own windows, others offered windows with their packages but cost much more. “Coventry sent everything I needed and extra. I had enough V-match to do the interior and then used the leftovers to do the floor. I still have extra out in the shed that I have saved for future building projects." Paul said. Paul and his brother-in-law Bill started building the home Labor Day weekend, and these two novice builders had finished just in time for Paul and Rhonda to serve Christmas dinner in their new log home. Paul learned as he went, having friends show him how to do wiring and plumbing and then completing the projects himself. "I use to work as a glazer and after I built my home I went and got a job as a carpenter and now I build houses for a living" Paul said. Paul and Rhonda also love how warm and energy efficient the house is. Paul told us, "As I was building, people said a log home would settle and that eventually the windows would not open, but the house is airtight, the windows all work perfectly and the house does not creek. I installed a hard coal boiler and purchased used cast iron radiators. We keep the house between 75 and 80 all winter long and it cost me $800.00 a year to heat my house." 

Paul still loves to work around the house, chopping wood, landscaping and hunting on the property. Paul says, “I love sitting on the porch and looking out, the deer and the turkey come right into the back yard.” Paul's favorite room in the house is the living room; he can look around and see all the rooms in the house, and look up into the loft. Paul did make a few changes to the floor plan as he built the log home, removing the master bedroom from downstairs and putting in a doorway from the living room, this created a dining room and allowed the house to flow in a circular pattern. Then he closed in part of the loft, creating a huge master bedroom upstairs for him and Rhonda. Paul and Rhonda have decorated their log home with special things from the past. They have hung old farm tools honoring the history of family farm and Paul’s Civil War memorabilia. Paul an accomplished equestrian would do civil war re-enactments as part of the horse Calvary. Paul loves his house, and is proud of his hard work. He has had a sign out front inviting people to come in and see his Coventry Log Home.

Paul and Rhonda