You don't have to get too deep into the Appalachians in pa before even "gummint" has limited use for government. Not a judgment call but a fact. Chances are the BI grew up chopping and stacking firewood and still does. The OP wants a fresh start by subbing sweat for cash. I am not convinced that the govt should be protecting him from himself. Dunno where the OP lives in NY or what the culture is like there.

Unfortunately most building codes are a response to disaster so while we poo-poo codes I'll ask again, do you think the Japanese people would like stricter guidelines next time someone builds a nuke plant in their neighborhood?

I'm not sure why anyone would defend the position that an automatic heating system is extraneous in NY, perhaps you can enlighten me.

I have nothing against automatic heat or building codes, particularly as they apply to nuclear power plants. That said, New Yorkers did without automatic heat for about three centuries. If the OP wants to live in the woods, I am going to assume that he is as self reliant as his forebears.

The earliest of forebears relied on natural shelters (i.e. caves) and later hide tents or grass and mud huts. Perhaps some are attracted to the stone age but that doesn't strike me as OPs motivation on the log cabin.
But again while I mean the above as light hearted, the mortgage issue is worthy of research. In my AO you can not finance anything without automatic heat. While that may not be an issue now, if OPs fam doesn't enjoy the Laura Engalls life style, perspective buyers may require a loan.

Some mornings I feel paleolithic, Joe, but I am not that old. I was 14 when we got central heat for the first time. The year was 1960 and the house in question was a Four Square farmhouse built in 1911. Not that my brother and I benefited. My dad wasn't going to waste any heat upstairs. We were late adapters, and not by choice. I am sure the OP will get around to CH before he sells. If he gets a chance to start.

this is going to be my dream come true building this home. i have been talking with my code enforcment officer and am zoning out the land and i need a 911 address first. i don't plan on moving or selling for that matter and no mortgage will be taken out so no worries with all the issues of that. i'm still learning all about the mounds of paperwork i'm about to get into. it's exciting and nerve racking.
its a project that im investing 4 years of time into and ill be asking for plenty of help along the way. thank you all

"I was 14 when we got central heat for the first time. The year was 1960 and the house in question was a Four Square farmhouse built in 1911"
Okay since you are old enough to be my dad, (turned 14 in '79) I'll yield to the wisdom of your years.

Hey, I grew up in a Four Square and Dad was a tinner and we didn't get air...ever! I actually installed the first AC system in the old homestead after both little brothers owned it...2001.

So there. hhehhehehehee

I'd bet you & your brothers never did  what Betsy Petit did to hers, though...  

You are right as usual. But, the low-v unit is sized properly and operates flawlessly and I can sleep in my old bedroom all night. The house also has radiant floors on the main level. I noted that the house in question was a bit overdone in terms of insulation and a proper heat load (if performed) was ignored as demonstrated by the over-sized boiler. I know this as my first 4-square renovation was only one of many dozens, each time preserving the original character of those grand old "catalog" houses. Thank you for the link, it confirms that my Sears and Roebuck "mail-order-house" did come by rail...only one hundred yards from the tracks...the good side of course ;-).

If ever there was candidate for geo, it is the house of my youth. I figure 8 tons would handle most Januarys with the original single pane double hungs and zero insulation anywhere, also original. Having painted the thing a couple times, I think I'd leave the siding in place, change the windows, insulate the attic and install 4 tons (?) of geo.

Gotta say if the massive, oak woodwork in that house came from a catalog, things have not improved in the trim dept in the intervening century.

I think the wood stove will keep your family plenty warm in the colder months. But it really depends on the amount of space you are trying to heat. This isn't exactly my niche and I don't have a lot of technical advice, but I have had the same question in the past when trying to heat my cabin in northern MN.

This has worked for me: It would be wise to keep the bedroom doors closed during the day to lock in the heat to the common space you want to be heated like the living room and kitchen. Open the bedroom doors at night to let the heat in while everyone is sleeping.