Fairfield Foundation board president Tom Karow had been looking for a couple years for someone who could restore the period shutters for Timberneck, the historic home on the York River in Hayes owned and maintained by the Gloucester not-for-profit archaeological preservation group.
Turns out the Mathews resident didn’t have to look too far from his own home.
After seeing a front-page story in the Gazette-Journal in September about Mathews High School carpentry students taking part in a Tiny House construction project, Karow reached out to Wes Robbins, the school’s carpentry teacher, and received an emphatic “Yes” in reply.
Under the guidance of Robbins, two MHS sophomores—Ivar Golden and Logan Macias—are heading up the hands-on project, which blends traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
In all, there are 17-18 shutters that are being restored, keeping as much of the original wood as possible, as well as preserving the original craftsmanship. Among the pieces, Karow said, are the original front-door shutters dating from the 1790s, which had been found in a state of decay in the basement of Timberneck.
Using both traditional joinery methods and a modern CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router, the students are learning to balance the precision and artistry of historic woodworking. The restoration process includes careful measurement, layout work, and reverse engineering to understand the original construction techniques that went into first making these shutters centuries ago.
“It’s a great exercise for these kids,” Karow said. Robbins said that while many mills and other shops that could handle this kind of challenging work have closed due to a lack of skilled craftsmen, the demand is obviously still there.
The project is also pioneering vertical integration within the school’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) program, incorporating aspects of both carpentry and engineering and design, letting the students experience a full cycle of project development.
Engineering and Design instructor Randy Applegate has played a key role in this project by helping the students produce CAD (Computer-Aided Design) drawings for the shutter louvers’ mortises. These drawings were then converted through manufacturing software to run on the carpentry shop’s handheld CNC router, blending both traditional mortise and tenon joints with the CNC-cut mortises.
“The restoration project has not only honed students’ woodworking skills, but also demonstrated the real-world value of combined CTE disciplines, giving students practical experience in both traditional craftsmanship and advanced manufacturing technology,” Robbins said. “It’s a testament to the innovation happening at Mathews High School, where the next generation is building both a respect for history and the skills for the future.”
Restoring the shutters is just one of a slew of projects underway in Robbins’ shop. Aside from the aforementioned Tiny House projects, his carpentry students have their hands in everything from restoring the historic main door of Waynesboro’s Fishburne Military School, to a deadrise boat re-creation and even building a chicken coop.
Karow is excited about the progress that has been going on at Timberneck over the past few years, with enthusiastic volunteers contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of work in bringing the historic mansion back to its former glory.
Restoring the shutters is another crucial piece in that puzzle.