Businessman Joynton Smith decided to build a tearoom after being unable to get a decent cup of tea in Penrith whilst journeying to and from the Blue Mountains. He purchased land overlooking the Nepean River on the eastern bank, from Frank & Arthur Judges in January 1924. It included the old Riverside Inn (previously known as the Emu Ferry, Governor Bourke and Pineapple Inn). His Log House opened in December 1925. It alternated as a hotel and a boarding house. The original building was demolished in 1939 to make way for the newly named Log Cabin Hotel. The Log Cabin flag was taken by soldiers during World War 2 who returned it fifty years later with a celebratory event held on 11 November 1990. The Log Cabin was demolished following the fire which destroyed most of the buildings on 9 March 2012. The new Log Cabin was opened in April 2022.
