Traditional Woodworking Tour: 1600’s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse

In the above video you’ll see the amazing 17th Century English timber frame farmhouse that I visited recently.

I was absolutely taken back by this immaculately reconstructed  farmhouse and it’s gorgeous reproduction furniture from the 1600’s. So, of course, I had to share it with y’all!

The farm was moved from England to the Frontier Culture Museum in historical Staunton, Virginia (thank you to my English friends).

I really love the exposed timber framing on the exterior of the farmhouse. I did my first timber framing last week, so it’s fun to see a finished product.

The kitchen & hearth room are the first rooms that I entered, and I loved seeing the oak trestle table with tusk tenons:

And a really creative shelf with decorative gouging on the sides:

 Great little tenon pegs:

An interesting little mouse trap built by an amazing joiner and tool collector, named George Lott (see my Video about George’s workshop & furniture):

And some rusting hand forged iron cut nails sitting on the window sill:

Anyone know what this is? I sure don’t:

Beautiful quarter sawn white oak used on the windows:

A nice little red oak (I think) end table with pinned tenons:

This nice sitting room was filled with carefully hand carved oak cupboards and chests:

Below is a carved bible box, I believe. I’m not sure who built the furniture in this room, but it looks very similar to the 17th century style that Peter Follensbee builds and carves. I wouldn’t be surprised if he built some of it.

The small dining room also has lovely furniture built with strong and handsome joinery:

I want this chair sooo bad…Guess I’ll have to learn how to build and carve one!

Nice detail of the rough wooden floors…either white oak or chestnut I believe:

My son Joseph looking out the hand made windows:

This 17th Century farmhouse felt so comfortable and simple. I really could have felt at home in such a peaceful place. You should really try to visit this farm, and the others at the Frontier Culture Museum. It has become one of my favorite spots.

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About the Frontier Culture Museum

The Frontier Culture Museum is  unlike anything I’ve encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.

What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools. It is a hands on “museum” so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn’t mind. They also didn’t mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.