A house of hewn logs; a fort. The N.E.D. gives examples, 1512–1878.
1791. January 2, the Indians surprised the block-house and broke up the settlement on the Big Bottom; killed fourteen persons, and took five prisoners.—Thaddeus M. Harris, ‘State of Ohio,’ p. 203 (1805).
1821. A block-house differs from a log one in this particular: in the former the logs are hewn square, so that they are smooth within and without, and the latter are hewn only within, having the bark on the outside.—Zerah Hawley, ‘Tour’ [of Ohio, &c.], p. 52 (New Haven, 1822).
1835. A fort constructed in this way is described by W. G. Simms, ‘The Yemassee,’ i. 26 (N.Y.).
1840. Fort George consists of three small block-houses, one of which is occupied by Mr. Birney and family, and the others for purposes of trading.—Gustavus Hines, ‘Oregon,’ p. 89 (1851).
1840. A blockhouse is nothing but a green log house, of two stories: the second story projecting a couple of feet over the first, and resting on a floor of split logs; the loopholes for firing being in the upper story, both in the sides, and in the floor, and in the projections. A dozen men will put up such a house in a day, and cover it in the next day.—Mr. Benton in the U.S. Senate, Jan. 12: Cong. Globe, p. 99 (Appendix).
