Historic Barn Restoration
Salvaged frames, raised to live again.
An antique timber frame is a piece of working history. We rescue hand-hewn barn frames from collapse, repair them with traditional joinery, and raise them again at the heart of light-filled modern homes - carrying two centuries of patina into the next.
Saving a frame
It begins in a field. We document an antique frame member by member - photographing, measuring, and tagging every timber and joint - before carefully dismantling it and bringing it home to the shop.
Where centuries have taken their toll, we scarf in new oak using the same joinery the original framers used, matching the adze marks of the hewers so the repair disappears into the history of the wood.
Old frame, modern home
A restored frame deserves a home worthy of it. We wrap the antique structure in a high-performance modern envelope - proper insulation, generous glass, radiant comfort - so the romance of old timber comes with none of the drafts.
The contrast is the point: hand-hewn oak against white plaster, wrought iron against floor-to-ceiling glazing. Old and new, each making the other more beautiful.
Projects in this discipline.
Historic Barn Restoration - questions & answers
Do you have antique frames available?
We maintain relationships with salvage specialists across the country and can often source a frame to suit your home's scale and style. We also restore frames a client already owns.
Can you restore the barn already standing on our land?
Frequently, yes. We assess the frame's condition first; some are sound enough to stabilize in place, while others are best dismantled, repaired in the shop, and re-raised.
Are two-hundred-year-old frames structurally safe?
Properly restored, they are remarkable. We replace compromised members, re-engineer connections where modern loads require it, and have the finished frame stamped - so it meets today's code with yesterday's character.
How long does a restoration take?
Documentation, dismantling, and shop repair typically span six to twelve months before the frame is ready to raise, with the surrounding home built on a normal residential schedule thereafter.
Have a timber project in mind?
Tell us where it is, what you are building, and what you need from the frame. We will let you know if the project fits our shop calendar.