Warmth and wonder: It’s seldom these two words are used together to describe a building, but it’s the recurring sentiment evoked by a timber home. Modern timber frames embody the ideals of craftsmanship and attention to detail, paired with materials hand- selected to suit the structure and reflect the setting. The men and women of timber framing today follow a rich tradition of knowledge earned through years of training, apprenticeship and hands-on experience, in what is largely an oral tradition. Great resources and text books exist, but nothing replaces learning alongside an experienced craftsman.
The tradition of timber framing claims roots around the world, from Asia to Europe, and utilizes techniques dating back to Neolithic times. However, timber framing historically has been most popular in regions where deciduous hardwoods, like oak, thrive.
Timber framing naturally emigrated from the Old World to the New, continuing the traditions and styles of European architecture. However, after 1750, structures built in the United States tended to be more “American” in response to the local climate and agricultural practices.
See also From Site Plan to Floor Plan
In rapidly-growing 19th century New England, carpenters found an efficiency, developing “square rule” carpentry. Square ruling imposes regular planes within imperfect or irregular timbers, and the carpenter makes reductions on the non-reference faces accordingly. Will Beemer, founder and director of the Heartwood School in Massachusetts, offers this thought about square rule: “Pieces may be pre-fabricated without selecting the mate piece it’s to join, and members such as joists, braces and rafters become interchangeable. No pre-assembly is required before raising, and even peg holes can be laid out and drawbored ahead of time.”
In the mid-1800s, the demand for cheap housing that went up fast pushed the construction industry in a new direction, bringing dimensional lumber to the forefront — where it persists today. However, timber framing in the United States and Canada experienced a revival in the 1970s, with craftsmen like Will Beemer and Jack Sobon leading the North American renaissance, training themselves and subsequently new generations of craftspeople.
In 1987, the Timber Framers Guild was founded, with the express purpose of retaining and celebrating the traditional craft of timber framing. Guild members are devoted to the craft and share it with the rest of the world through community building projects that not only serve as hands-on education for members, but also as a lasting public legacy for communities to enjoy. In the end, homeowners are the ones who truly benefit from this meticulous preservation of tradition, because they not only get to live in a house they love, they get to live in a true piece of art and history.
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