Mayhew Cabin is one of the oldest structures in Nebraska. It was once an important stop on the road to freedom and it's now on the road to ruin.

The cabin, also called John Brown's Cave, has been standing in Nebraska City for 150 years and it was the farthest western link to the underground railroad, a safe harbor for escaping slaves.

Time and the elements have taken a toll. The cabin needs repairs.

Cabin museum curator Grace Johnson says even the structure's walls are in danger.

"The bottom of the wall is kind of pushing away from the floor inside," she says. "So we might have to actually take the wall apart."

The site is a valuable educational tool for elementary students across eastern Nebraska. Tour groups regularly make their way through the cave, reenacting a slave's rush to freedom.

It's a realistic, hands-on learning tool and kids fully understand the cabin's significance.

Ten-year-old Diamond Phipps says, "You can actually see things that happened and things they used."

Eleven-year-old Kaley Martinie adds, "If I were one of the slaves, I would be kind of happy to have a place. I'd also be scared for my life and family."

But visible holes in the roof endanger the museum's artifacts.

Grace Johnson says they are working with a historic architect to retain the integrity of the site. Repairing the cabin will cost approximately $50,000 and take several months to complete.

Johnson says unless something is done, this cabin's future is in jeopardy.

She says, "Right now we're having a lot of heavy rains. We never know how much snow we're going to get. That obviously accelerated the deterioration so that's why we think it's urgent to do the repair project."

Several weekend events are aimed at raising money to save the cabin. They're being held at Omaha's Doubletree Hotel: