Longleaf Lumber – History | Historic Reclaimed Lumber Projects

BOSTON, MA ~ 1875

For more than 142 years, the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston’s South End has stood grandly and served its parishioners. Now, after decades of graceful aging, the building is undergoing a crucial renovation. As a part of the project, Longleaf Lumber was able to salvage thousands of feet of gorgeous heart pine flooring.

QUINCY, MA ~ Early 1900s

At one point the second-largest shipbuilding facility in the United States, the Fore River Shipyard employed tens of thousands of workers, produced hundreds of ships, and may have been the origin of the famous ‘Kilroy Was Here’ tag. In 2017, one of the last original buildings at the yard was demolished, yielding old-growth longleaf pine that will make fantastic flooring, paneling, or tabletops.

They call it “The Mack”. In 2014, Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s architectural masterpiece in Glasgow, Scotland, was badly damaged in a fire. This past year, we’ve been privileged to provide reclaimed Heart Pine beams for the restoration of the building.

CONWAY, MA ~ 19th Century

The first-ever Massachusetts tornado to be recorded in February destroyed this 19th-century Conway barn. Although most of the barn’s structural timbers were destroyed, we were able to salvage the two-inch thick reclaimed American chestnut decking and structural floor joists. We’re sad that the barn was destroyed but we’re excited that some of its antique wood will be recycled.

HINGHAM, MA ~ 1942

Longleaf Lumber recently reclaimed large Douglas fir timbers from a World War II-era building that played a major role in the U.S. war effort. The structure, which was part of the naval shipyard in Hingham, Massachusetts, was recently razed to make way for a residential development – part of an ongoing revitalization of the old Hingham Navy Yard.

PORTLAND, ME ~ 1914

We recently reclaimed hundreds of southern yellow pine wooden bleacher boards from the century-old historic Exposition Building in Portland, Maine.

HOLYOKE, MA ~ 1855

Originally settled as an agricultural community, Holyoke, Massachusetts soon became one of New England’s chief centers of industry. As industry developed within the United States and the 1845 railroad expansion brought more travelers through the area, interest developed in the natural formation of the river at Holyoke. With the Connecticut River being the largest in New England and the bend in the river at this location being the site of the largest drop of 57 feet, the potential for a canal system at this site and the water power it could generate became apparent.

LOWELL, MA ~ 1911

The Picker Building was one of the last structures built as part of the Massachusetts Cotton Mills complex in Lowell, Massachusetts – birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Today, the Picker Building is one of Lowell’s final mill structures to be renovated for alternate use. The brick walls will soon contain 70 new apartment units for moderate- and low-income families.

BOSTON, MA ~ 1899

170 years ago, 150 State Street was waterfront property. The address would have been located on a thriving wharf where sailing ships loaded and unloaded cargo on a long pier and merchants, tradesmen, and shoppers bustled about a lively market. Today, 150 State Street is on solid ground in the middle of Boston’s Financial District. Wood reclaimed from this building is about as ‘Boston’ as it gets.

EVERETT, PA ~ 18th-19th Century

Like many barns, this beautiful, utilitarian building was constructed with beams from a still older barn that came before it. Resting on farm land in Everett, Pennsylvania, for well over 100 years, the Smith Barn has now been carefully dismantled and its timbers prepared for re-milling into reclaimed wood flooring.

Biddeford, ME ~ 1851

The stately Pepperell Mill campus in Biddeford, Maine was once a bustling manufacturing complex producing linens, blankets, and towels. Today, the mills have been renovated to make room for apartments, businesses, and a community events space. Longleaf Lumber was lucky to reclaimed Heart Pine beams from the demolition and renovation activities at this Southern Maine landmark.

Boston, MA ~ 1891

Historic 474 Beacon Street has played host to high society Brahmin parties, oral surgery, and today, luxury apartments for the modern Bostonian. It’s also our latest source of reclaimed wooden joists, sawn from a surprising and unusual species of tree.

Melrose, MA ~ 1900

The Boston Rubber Shoe Company once churned tens of thousands of shoes per day out of its Melrose and Malden factories. Today, the dilapidated buildings are being renovated and repurposed for housing. During the reconstruction project, Longleaf was lucky to reclaim some of the finest Heart Pine beams we’ve sawn since the 1990s.

Boston, MA ~ 1803

Longleaf Lumber reclaimed old growth white pine boards and beams from this historic Beacon Hill home. Dating to 1803, 49 Mt. Vernon Street is a magnificent building that was once home to one of the Commonwealth’s most influential magistrates.

New Braintree, MA ~ 1910

What a big, beautiful building it was. This barn was built in the dead center of Massachusetts, in one of the Commonwealth’s prettiest small towns: New Braintree. The woods we’ve reclaimed from this barn complement perfectly the character of this small, bucolic village.

Worcester, MA ~ 1878-1886

Sourced from the heart of Worcester’s historic Junction Shop Manufacturing District, reclaimed Heart Pine wood salvaged from these buildings is steeped in Massachusetts’ industrial history.

Boston, MA ~ 1889

This week, Longleaf recovered several trailerloads of reclaimed wood salvaged from the former regional headquarters of the Church of Scientology, Boston’s historic Hooper Mansion. This 1889 brownstone rests in the center of the Back Bay neighborhood and boasts a history worthy of a BBC miniseries.

Boston, MA ~ 1899

This towering Beacon Hill residence yielded four complete stories of softwood floor joists. Lumber from the building was carefully saved during this gut-rehab project and will be recycled into flooring, tabletops, and wall paneling.

Warwick, RI ~ 1875

The old-growth Heart Pine timbers used to frame Warwick’s Elizabeth Mill building have been carefully removed from the demolition rubble and salvaged for resaw into flooring by Longleaf Lumber.

Taftville, CT ~ 1866

Renovations of Taftville’s historic Ponemah Mills yielded jaw-dropping reclaimed American chestnut beams. Longleaf Lumber salvaged and recycled the hand-hewn timbers into flooring, paneling, and other reclaimed wood millwork products.

New Enterprise, PA ~ 19th Century

This 19th century Pennsylvania grist mill yielded thousands of board feet of reclaimed white oak lumber.

Dedham, MA ~ 1880

In a delicate salvage operation, Longleaf Lumber reclaimed hundreds of ash wood church pews from the basement of St. Mary of the Assumption church in Dedham, MA.