Frank Crittenden is a man dedicated to helping his community by making beautiful birdhouses at his home in Hayes and donating them to the DAV Thrift Store.
Crittenden has been doing woodwork for most of his life. He graduated from Middlesex High School in 1951 and he worked for the Newport News Shipyard for about nine months as a woodworker in what was called a pattern shop. Not too long after that, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard and served four years in the Korean War.
“I was on a Coast Guard ship out in the Pacific,” said Crittenden. “I got to travel a lot.”
After he left the service, he resided in Mathews for 60 years. During that time, he went to college on the GI Bill in 1957 at what was called the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary, which is now Old Dominion University. He graduated from business school in 1960.
Crittenden worked for a Gravely Tractor Dealership in Norfolk part-time for four years, working there while he was in college. Afterwards, he started teaching shop woodwork at Mathews High School.
“Mr. (D.D.) Forrest, superintendent of schools, called me and asked me if I would be interested in teaching school. I told him I did not know. I never thought about it,” said Crittenden. “He said, ‘Will you come up here for an interview and talk with me?’ So I took a day off from work and came up and talked with him.”
Crittenden worked for Mathews High School teaching woodwork for 20 years. He also started the business Chimney Corner Lawnmower around the same time he started working for the high school. He retired from MHS in 1980. He retired from the Chimney Corner Lawnmower two years ago and started his woodshop at his home in Hayes where he makes both cutting board and birdhouses. He and his wife also take care of their grandson, Aiden Crittenden.
“I have been in here (at his home woodshop) full-time since I retired two years ago. I don’t work on Saturdays and Sundays. I work five days a week,” he said.
When asked why he decided to make birdhouses specifically for the DAV, he responded that it was because he wanted to do something nice for his community.
“I figured on something that I can do to help the community, so I had all the equipment all set up, so birdhouses were a natural choice. I build and donate them and they (DAV) sell them,” said Crittenden. The Disabled American Veteran store sells them faster than I can make them.”
Crittenden said that he can make about 15 birdhouses every week and the houses are for all sizes of birds. He gets all of his wood from Fary Brothers in Ark. He uses pine for his birdhouses.
He cuts the boards to the measurements that he needs. Then he puts the boards in a vise to hold the pieces together and uses wood screws to put the boards together to create the base of the birdhouse. He attaches the roof with wood screws as well. He recommends using screws to screw the boards together, because if you make a mistake, you can take it apart.
“You can’t nail them together, because if something happens, you can’t take them apart. You have to use screws,” said Crittenden.
After creating the house, he drills a hole big enough for the birds to enter and exit. He also has an opening wide enough in the back to allow the birds to go in and out to make a nest.
During this process, he does not use any glue and he sends the finished birdhouses to the DAV. He does not paint them, because he lets whoever receives his birdhouses paint them themselves. He also makes cutting boards as well.
Crittenden’s wife, Lynn Crittenden, helps deliver the birdhouses to the DAV Thrift Store in Gloucester and any other place that wants them.