Contact ~ Ford Hall ~ HEIRLOOM TIMBER FRAMING Greetings@HeirloomTimberFraming.com ~ 828.337.6703 248 Settawig Road BRASSTOWN, NC 28902
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." ~ Geoffrey Chaucer, A Parliament of Fowls (1343-1400)
During the summer of 2004, at the age of 28, I discovered my passion and chose to devote the rest of my life to timber framing. This was the result of a visit to a modern timber frame home under construction by hand. It was fashioned sustainably where timbers were being harvested from naturally fallen trees and milled on site. The style of building gave me insight to my life's dreams. At the time I had not fathomed the infinite challenges which lay ahead, giving me meaning to life.
I was born and raised at a boatyard and marina that my grandfather started 50 years ago on Maryland's eastern shore. My father, an engineer, developed Georgetown Yacht Basin to what it is today, which gave me a playground of continuous construction sites and craftsman to admire while I was growing up. Naturally, I began working for the family business at a young age and continued after a formal education. I worked with top quality craftsmen in their industry learning many different trades from finishing, mechanics, carpentry, and construction just to mention a few. By far the most memorable work for me was constructing and/or maintaining the 300 plus slips and piers throughout the marina.
Upon discovering timber framing, I pursued the trade by leaving my hometown and, consequently, the family business. I researched an apprentice program in the southern Appalachian region that offered hands-on and formal education toward a strong foundation that would facilitate a move into the industry. The timber frame apprentice program was with a timber frame company which gave me immediate exposure to designing, engineering, cutting and raising a timber frame home.
Completion of this rigorous program secured me full time employment with a production timber frame company in the same area for 3 years. The company fashioned full and hybrid timber frame structures enclosed with structural insulated panel systems averaging 8 timber frames annually. I was project manager of several timber frame structures from beginning to end with six other joiners. Also, I was exposed to teaching an average of two apprentices rotating through the shop every three months. A week workshop was held twice annually where we taught a large group to build a timber frame. While working for the company, I continued my timber framing studies by becoming a member of the Timber Framers Guild and attending workshop classes at the Heartwood School of Timber Framing. In my spare time, I volunteered instructing timber frame workshops including a shelter in the north Georgia mountains on the Appalachian Trail and a timber frame structure for the Warren Wilson College forestry program covering their sawmill.
While building an English shaving horse during a workshop at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, I discovered a truly unique land that is teaming with a community of traditional style craftsman focusing on quality and artistic works in a modern world. Humbled by their warm welcome, I decided to make Brasstown my permanent destination. I left the timber frame company and pursued the trade as an itinerant for one year. During this time I worked projects like the Bolz Furniture Makers Shop. I also returned to Brasstown for a unique project at the John C. Campbell Folk School as "rookie leader" instructing eight timber framers for a two-week timber frame workshop building an annex blacksmith shop with the Timber Framers Guild and forty other timber framers from around the country.
Today, I continue my dedication toward the discipline for this craft with my own open doors as Heirloom Timber Framing, Inc. in Brasstown, North Carolina. As the name suggests, Heirloom Timber Framing's soul is to achieve a level of high standards in excellency within our industry, by developing a relationship of trust, reliability and respect to all who we serve. Through honesty and understanding, bridging the gap between builders, homeowners, investors and realtors within our community we utilize the best of all our resources to achieve these goals. We aim to educate in the latest concepts of building and inform our community of vital information that is essential to the consumer.
Contact ~ Ford Hall ~ HEIRLOOM TIMBER FRAMING Greetings@HeirloomTimberFraming.com ~ 828.337.6703 248 Settawig Road BRASSTOWN, NC 28902
