Building, old-style - News from the World of Trees - Brief Article

American Forests, Summer, 2002 by Charles Enloe

After a decline that has lasted more than a century, timber framing is making a comeback. A recent article in Smithsonian magazine described the resurgence of the age-old construction method, which enjoyed a millennia-long heyday before standardized lumber led to its decline in the mid-l9th century.

Companies like Walpole, New Hampshire's Benson Woodworking Company have led the revivial, combining the classic method with high-tech tools to build expansive timber-framed homes appreciated for open spaces and a unique look.

Recently, Benson went back to its roots. A group of 35 volunteers, mostly employees of the company, spent two weekends constructing a replica of Henry David Thoreau's cabin in Walden Woods, The Thoreau Institute plans to officially open the reconstructed cabin this fall.