News

The Guild has been awarded a grant by the National Park Service / National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT) to collect, collate and illustrate the wooden joinery that appears in traditional American timber framed buildings, Executive Director Will Beemer announced from the Guild office in Washington, Massachusetts. The work will be undertaken by architect and author Jack Sobon of Windsor, Massachusetts. He is a nationally recognized authority on historical timber frame techniques.

The grant, in the amount of $18,370, was awarded under the Preservation Technology and Training Grants Program, and will result in an illustrated catalogue to be used by architects, builders, and preservation specialists who are responsible for the care and repair of historically significant buildings. The catalogue will be presented over the next year as a series of monographs in the Guild's quarterly Journal, Timber Framing, and will also be accessible on the Guild's Web site.

Timber framing is a centuries-old means of construction using posts, beams and braces. The wood is connected using intricate joints that are often pegged. The Timber Framers Guild is a not-for-profit educational organization which provides information and training on the craft to the general public.

The National Center for Preservation Technology and Training is an interdisciplinary effort by the National Park Service to advance the art, craft and science of historic preservation in the fields of archeology, historic architecture, historic landscapes, objects and materials conservation, and interpretation. NCPTT serves public and private practitioners through research, education and information management.