A hotly contested debate in Cave Spring Tuesday night over the Vann Cherokee Cabin ended with the Cave Spring Historical Society voting to rebuild the cabin as an educational exhibit rather than preserve it as an artifact.

The group voted last December to dismantle the cabin and then rebuild it with new and old materials.

The Vann Cherokee Cabin was built in 1810.

Board member Colt Chambers said that the cabin has already likely lost its chance to become a national historic landmark after it was moved yards from its initial location.  He said that his goal was to preserve what was left on the site.

Board president Mike Burton argued that the move was necessary because of safety issues.

Chambers said that the focus of the historical society should be to preserve historic places in Cave Spring, not to promote tourism.

The final vote was 6-5 to rebuild the cabin in the new spot.