Learning Getaway

Southern Living, Apr 2005 by Latham, Tanner C

Make a masterpiece at this little shop outside of Hertford, North Carolina.

The traffic wasn't too bad, was it?" Ben Hobbs says with a wink. We would bet that bad traffic in this rural northeast corner of the state consists of a three-car convoy creeping behind a blacktop-bound tractor. According to Ben, isolation breeds concentration, one of the necessary skills involved in the monthly furniture-making class he teaches. In the shop behind his house, guests build everything from Chippendale chairs to pencil post beds.

Always a Teacher

After Ben and his wife, Jackie, moved into an 1800s farmhouse, they wanted to fill it with antiques. But with teachers' salaries, they couldn't fit the furniture into their financial plan. Instead, Ben bought some old pieces, took them apart, and figured out how they were put together. After a few carpentry and woodworking classes, he left his life as a math teacher and began work as a restoration carpenter.

Going to School

"Ben understands that people come in with different skills," says Bill Kafes of Williamsburg, Virginia. "He makes sure that the class works for you and that you get the job done." The five-and-a-half-day class (Monday through Saturday morning) promises skills and a piece to take home. Ben offers sessions specializing in Early American furniture from the 18th century. Low-boys, sideboards, and Queen Anne chairs, among others, fill the list. He's also a firm believer in old-fashioned methods. The five to eight students per class learn how to handle planes, scrapers, chisels, rasps, and files.

Spend the Night

As a student, you receive a 15% discount at the Beechtree Inn, Jackie's baby. The Hobbses fully restored three 18th- and 19th-century cottages and furnished them with period antiques and reproductions made by Ben. After a great night's sleep, Jackie's homemade pancakes, filled with blueberries from their farm, equip you for a long day of learning. TANNER C. LATHAM

Hobbs Furniture Classes: 948 Pender Road, Hertford, NC 27944; (252) 426-1593 or www.hobbsfurniture.com. Beechtree Inn: (252) 426-7815 or www.beechtreeinn.net. Rates: $80-$90. Location: Hertford is in the northeast corner of the state, 10 miles north of Edenton.