One Year Later--Charles Towne Landing timber frame

Posted on January 11, 2008 by Ansley Holder

Whit and I recently took a trip to Charleston for a few days around Christmas. While we were there, we visited the Charles Towne Landing State Park where Holder Bros. built a timber frame a year ago for the historic architecture exhibit at the park. It was a gorgeous, warm day for December and we walked from the Visitor's Center to the exhibit. (When you go, be sure to spend some time in the Visitor's Center. It has interesting, interactive exhibits about the settlement that was on the site of this state park. It's really great for kids.)

We completed this historic replica timber frame in December 2006 and visited the state park while in Charleston in March 2007 demonstrating timber framing at the Masters of the Building Arts Festival. So this was our second visit to see the timber frame in 2007. The exhibit is complete now; the timber frame has been furnished with furniture and housewares that would have been used there in the late 1600s. This timber frame was meant to show park visitors what sort of structure workers in the colony lived in while at the original settlement of Charles Towne. The building was built using the traditional methods and materials of timber framing that the colonists would have used to build a dwelling.

The timber frame sits off of the walking path, on a little point of land that juts into the river. When you are standing at the back of the timber frame building looking at the trees, marsh, and water and you can't hear any cars or other modern "city" noises, you can easily imagine that this is indeed what it looked like over 300 years ago.

While Whit was inside taking pictures, I was watching people stare in awe at the timber frame and what sort of building that people were able to construct during that time period. It is very rewarding to know that we played a part in educating people about timber framing. We created something for people to see and experience, to show them what life was like during that crucial period in American history. That appreciation of what came before us is what drives our passion for building historic timber frames and working on restoration and preservation of timber frame structures.

Tagged: timber frame restoration, hand hewn timber frame, hand hewn timbers, timber frame preservation, historic timber frame, timber frame south carolina, timber framing