Photo by Russell A. Cothren

The Colburn Barn Restoration workshop previously scheduled for November 2024 will be held May 29, 2025 – June 4, 2025. 

Join Historic Cane Hill for a week of timber frame restoration in Canehill, Arkansas, in partnership with Heartwood School and the national Timber Framers Guild.

The Colburn Barn, recently acquired by Historic Cane Hill, is a century-old barn once used on an apple-growing operation and farm. The 36’x 60’ barn is set on a beautiful sandstone foundation and is framed with oak timbers joined with mortise and tenon joinery using wooden pegs. Due to lack of use during recent times, the barn needs some repairs to keep it useful as part of Historic Cane Hill’s educational and historic preservation programming.

Course Topics:

This week-long course will focus on providing hands-on instruction in timber frame repairs as part of the restoration of the Colburn Barn. In this course, we will cover theory and methods for documenting and assessing old buildings for repair, material handling, safe techniques for dismantling portions of the frame, as well as various repair and replacement techniques. Participants will spend time practicing functional repairs in situ, and laying out replacement timbers using ‘Old School Mill Rule’ techniques that are thought to have been used during the original construction of the barn. Instructors will provide demonstrations and support students in cutting timbers using a combination of hand tools and handheld power tools. They will also provide instruction in the use of a telehandler on site, including hand signals and general safety (this will not result in a certification and students most likely will not be using machinery outside of instructional times). With Rudy Christian of Christian & Son, Inc. and instructors (TBD).

After attending this program, participants will be able to:

• Identify and use traditional joinery layout systems employed in constructing historic timber frames.
• Assess and document timber and joinery conditions of a 20th century timber framed structure.
• Develop appropriate repair and restoration strategies for restoration of historic timber structures.
• Use both traditional and modern tools to repair or replicate traditional timber joinery during restoration work on historic timber structures.

Required Prerequisite Knowledge:

A basic understanding of timber construction is helpful, but not essential, as well as familiarity with design/engineering methodology.

Course Structure:

Breakfast and Lunch will be provided throughout the course by Historic Cane Hill, and dietary preferences will be recorded upon registration. Please reach out if you have any concerns. Camping and RV hookups are available on site, and recommendations for local accommodations will be sent out to those who register. Please email us for more information.

REGISTER HERE

The workshop is held in collaboration with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

Presenting Sponsors:

𐎀 For AIA Members:

Credits: 42 hours, HSW

If you are an AIA member and interested in receiving credit for this course, please us the space indicated during registration.

This learning program is registered with AIA CES for continuing professional education. As such, it does not include content that may be deemed or construed to be an approval or endorsement by the AIA of any material of construction or any method or manner of handling, using, distributing, or dealing in any material or product.

AIA continuing education credit has been reviewed and approved by AIA CES. Learners must complete the entire learning program to receive continuing education credit. AIA continuing education Learning Units earned upon completion of this course will be reported to AIA CES for AIA members. Certificates of Completion for both AIA members and non-AIA members are available upon request.

About the Heartwood School
At the Heartwood School we are dedicated to craft, excellence in teaching the building arts, and to improving quality life through the built environment. Our students and instructors share a common goal — to connect minds, eyes, and hands in seamless harmony to craft lasting, meaningful structures that enrich lives and communities.

Established in 1978 and purchased by the Timber Framers Guild in 2019, The Heartwood School is now operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to robust, student-centered education and training. Over four decades, Heartwood has taught thousands of students about timber framing and other building arts and continues to be a place for people to gather and discover the tools to build with purpose.

The Heartwood School strives to honor the legacy of Will and Michelle Beemer, and others who shaped this school and played a seminal role in the establishment and success of the Timber Framers Guild and the revival of timber framing in North America. These individuals touched the lives of thousands of people in our extended community, and have entrusted the Heartwood School with the continuation of their life’s work and legacy. We believe that craftsmanship goes beyond construction, and that a commitment to active creation in the environment expresses care for the life that will happen within it.

About Historic Cane Hill, Inc.

The mission of Historic Cane Hill is “to acquire, preserve, and maintain historic buildings and property for historical preservation and educational purposes.” Historic Cane Hill seeks to build on the legacies of architecture, education, and the arts by providing programs and a venue to experience art and culture rooted in the history of the region and the beautiful natural surroundings of the Ozark Mountains.

The vision for Historic Cane Hill includes elevating arts and culture while maintaining the authenticity found in the community’s natural, built, and agricultural landscape and storied human history.

Historic Cane Hill, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was formed in 2013 to save the buildings and land tracts and regain Cane Hill’s place as an important center of arts, culture, history, education, and commerce. The organization partners with residents and stakeholders, and, as a result, this distinctive community continues to enrich visitors from Northwest Arkansas and many parts of the country.

Historic Cane Hill owns and stewards more than 200 acres of land, including 15 historic buildings within and near Cane Hill. Additionally, it operates a museum and gallery and maintains many trails, orchards, and other natural resources that make the community particularly memorable.