John Prater, and perhaps his
father, Archibald Prater, built this home in the early 1800's. Legendary stories
relate that Archibald lived here himself, but they are questionable. This was a
two-story home with chimney's on both ends. We are told it had no dogtrot or
breezeway. This old cabin was taken down several years ago, and the Burning Fork
Community Church was built on the site. One half of the original cabin was moved
to Lexington, Kentucky, and rebuilt by David Prater. The other half was stored
in the old Prater barn and was inherited by Thomas Keith, who donated the logs
to the Pioneer Village. This cabin became, for a short time, the Pioneer Village
Church/Chapel and was designated non-denominational, although legend tells us it
was a stopover for the early Methodist Circuit riding preachers, and services
were held in it, as there were very few church buildings in existence at that
time.
Magoffin County Historical
Society
