wide plank heart pine
nantucket is a pretty special place. located 30 miles south of cape cod, massachusetts, it’s roughly 105 square miles, and, perhaps because of it’s relative remoteness, not much is known about the island outside of coastal new england.
there is a lot to like about nantucket, it is beautiful on many levels.
cisco beach, nantucket
the beaches
brant point lighthouse
the lighthouses
cobblestone streets
the history
the island is also home to shark wranglers, delicious beverage makers and the setting for everyone’s favorite airport sitcom.
at woodwrights wide plank, there is a genuine appreciation of the time honored tradition of the architecture of the island, whether it be colonial, federal, or the unique style seen only on nantucket. those living and working there have a respect for the history of this place, and make a concerted effort to maintain it even with new construction and renovation.
the photo at the top is of a wide plank pine floor we milled being installed in a home on nantucket. wide plank floors are very common there because back when most of these houses and shops were being built, pine was what was available, and the floors were hand-sawn. the “bones” of the home can be seen in the subfloor, old planks that have been there since before any of us were around and likely will remain long after.
when we contribute to a job like this we feel like we become woven into the history of the home, and thus the history of the island; it’s pretty cool. we mill wide plank floors every day, sometimes night and day, and the jobs like these are a little more special, i guess because we appreciate the woodworking traditions that came before us. we are a custom mill, and everyone of our floors is run board by board by craftsmen with decades of experience, but we are only building on the foundation laid by those that came before us. we have expertly tuned machines to help us along the way. they had much less at their disposal, yet they crafted some of the most timeless and iconic structures in america. this is our country’s history and it means something to be a part of it.
keith kraus
woodwrights wide plank flooring
200 lexington ave
suite 714
new york, ny 10016
212.390.8944
www.woodwrightswideplank.com
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