The following history of ownership of Avent Cabin was provided by Julie Brown:

The cabin was built in 1845 or earlier by Humphrey Ownby. As a wedding present, Sam Cook (who lived nearby) bought the cabin for his daughter, Eva, when she married Steve Ownby. Sam paid $500 for the cabin and 50 acres. In 1918 Frank and Mayna Avent bought the cabin and 18.5 acres for $200. Mayna Treanor Avent (1868 – 1959) began using the cabin as an art studio in 1919 and continued to do so for over 20 years."

In 1926, Frank and Mayna Avent gave the cabin to their son Jim Avent (who was on the original board of the Appalachian Club). In an effort to improve the cabin for his mother’s use, Jim made several alterations to the building. Windows were cut to see the apple orchard. There was no electricity, although they had permission.

Ownership of the cabin and its 18.5 acres was transferred to the National Park Service in 1932. A lifetime lease was given to James Avent and his wife Jeannette. He subsequently transferred the lease to his children, Jacqueline and James Avent, Jr.

In 1993 the National Park Service approved the request of the Tennessee Historical Commission that the Avent Cabin be placed in the National Register of Historic Places for two reasons. It was the summer studio of a noted regional artist, and also because it is a rare surviving mid-nineteenth century log structure representative of the pioneering architecture once prevalent in this mountain region. The Avent Cabin was owned by the family from 1916 to 1932 and leased from 1932 to 1992.

How to get there:  Avent Cabin is located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the Tennessee side, near the Elkmont campground.  Elkmont campground is accessed off of River Road about 4 miles from the Sugarlands Visitor Center near Gatlinburg.  Note:  River Road is the same one you take from Sugarlands Visitor Center to go to Cades Cove.  Turn off River Road toward Elkmont and just before entering the campground you'll turn left onto a paved road that takes you toward the Little River and Jakes Creek trails.  Continue past the impromptu parking area you'll see at the Little River trailhead and the road will become one lane and crumbly as it travels up a slight grade past several of the now-decaying vacant cabins common in this area (check out our webpage on these:  Endangered Species: Elkmont Cabins).  Follow the road nearly to the end where you'll arrive at the Jakes Creek trailhead.  Park here if you can.  Follow Jakes Creek trail about 1/3 mile to Cucumber Gap trail.  Don't turn yet!  Go about another 1/3 mile on Jakes Creek trail passing the Meigs Mountain trail junction (don't turn there either!).  Watch carefully on your right side for a somewhat hard to spot (unmarked) side trail which leads to the Avent Cabin.  The side-trail will cross Jakes Creek on a long footbridge.  Up a slight hill and the trail ends at Avent Cabin.  You're less than a mile from where you parked your car.

• WBIR TV's Heartland Series:  Volume 22, Story 16 Our Summer Friend :  A reenactment about early 20th century artist Mayna Treanor Avent who turned a log cabin into her summer studio and painted the Smoky Mountains and its people.
• A webpage titled "Tennessee Avents "
• Avent Family Genealogy webpage for Mayna Treanor