It had been a long time since I last visited with my old friend and colleague, Nan Chase, author of this article. We first met when she was living in Boone and I was in Blowing Rock. Two Type A’s, we quickly fell into a feverish pace of working together. Months after Bark House Style was … Continued
2015 marks the 150th birthday of America’s First Forester, Gifford Pinchot. After Pinchot received forestry training in France and returned to the US in 1890, George Vanderbilt hired him as the nation’s first working forester on the Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC. Pinchot created a Forestry Management Plan for the estate and began teaching his … Continued
I was recently watching our guys craft a Yellow Birch Wall Covering panel when a warm memory flickered in my mind. For some reason, I could smell my grandfather’s cook stove. The purest and best of my early inquiries were nurtured in that farmhouse and the woods that surrounded it. “Paw Watts” was born in … Continued
For years, Ryan and I have tried to explain to folks how incredibly difficult it is to harvest our Poplar Bark Panels. I have always said “one in a thousand trees” to push the point. Last year we decided to follow one of our favorite logging crews into the forest to try to film the … Continued
Great expectations usually accompany a visit to cities such as New York, San Francisco, Denver or DC. Plan to experience the most relevant activities, businesses, beauty, fashion and design. And of course, be sure to leave some time for a little mystery, forest mystery that is and Botox. Unveiled late summer, 2014, a new luxury … Continued
Gary McCurry, our former operations manager, has officially retired from Bark House. He has been my older brother for years, although there has been no genetic testing to conclusively prove this. It is quite a challenge to identify our relation when comparing natures, as he is generally the calm and balanced voice of logic while … Continued
A couple years back, our company was privileged to have the opportunity to provide Black Locust Split Rail Fencing to the National Park Service for the Yorktown Battlefield. Everyone here understood the importance and significance of this destination. It was a very large order that took us all winter to produce. I particularly remember a … Continued