The Heartwood School, owned by the Timber Framers Guild, is located in Alstead, New Hampshire. Dedicated to teaching timber framing and related skills, Heartwood offers a wide variety of courses, taught by masters in their fields. In February 2024 Heartwood took to the road, and taught a week long class in the basics of timber framing at our shop in Long Creek. Using traditional methods and hand tools, students hand cut a 12x16 Dutch style frame. Instructors Neil Godden and George Morrison taught laying out a frame using the square rule method.
Students used antique hand mortising machines and other hand tools to cut the joinery in the timbers.
Heartwood's Executive Director Neil Gooden is joined by Board of Director members Stephen Morrison, Brice Cochran, and Board President Dennis Marcom.
Students spread out in front of the shop to work on timbers, cutting joinery. Stephen gave a demonstration of our sawmill operation.
Lunches were provided by our friend and neighbor, Trey Barnett of Humble Pie. An evening's entertainment included a bonfire, a BBQ dinner, and the always hilarious game of Stump.
Once the frame and floor system were complete, the class and instructors loaded up and went to raise the frame at the Foothills Farmstead. A living history farm in Oakway, South Carolina, the Foothills Farmstead is a non-profit dedicated to preserving and educating about agricultural life in the region in the 1920s.
Final work being done on the floor system, in preparation for hand raising the frame.
Hand raising a small frame requires good communication and a cooperative spirit to be successful.
The youngest member of the class was given the honor of placing the whetting bush, a time honored timber framing tradition.
Early Dutch builders constructed homes with closely spaced bents, a steep roof, and a timber framed plank floor. Placing the bents close together eliminates the need for central posts and floor joists on the upper level. The Foothills Farmstead plans to enclose the Heartwood School frame and utilize the building for property restrooms.
Students left with the knowledge to begin cutting their own simple timber frame.
Hosting the class was fun for us and we plan to do it again!
