Old English Rendering
Timber Frame Homes – Annual Buyers Dir. 2004
A timber frame home built using mainly reclaimed timbers, some destined for the USS Constitution. Download the article (see below) to learn more!
Old English Cottage Comes to Life as a Timber Frame Home
Inspired by the romance of medieval timber houses they’d seen in Europe, Terry and Wendy Weisenfeld set out to build an “Old English” cottage on a wooded, pie-shaped lot in York, South Carolina. After researching timber frame builders, and seeing Blue Ridge Timberwrights’ work at Chateau Morrisette in Floyd, Virginia, the couple chose Blue Ridge for its package, price, and craftsmanship. Blue Ridge translated Terry’s hand renderings into CAD, supplied a super-insulated enclosure system (stress-skin panels) and Douglas fir casement windows, and cut a dramatic oak frame. A showpiece hammerbeam truss features arches carved from timbers originally destined for the USS Constitution — one of many period-faithful touches in the 3,500-sq-ft, three-bed/three-bath plan.
The timber frame was pre-assembled in Christiansburg, then re-raised on site with help from friends under Blue Ridge’s guidance. Green-cut oak timbers (king and queen posts, curved braces, purlins) quickly took on a centuries-old patina. Outside, cedar shakes with wavy gable shingles, a timbered porch truss, a shake roof, and an “old English” chimney set the tone. Inside, arch-top Mexican-cedar doors, a Turkish lion-head knocker, custom leaded glass, and 100-year-old stained-glass windows from a British pub deepen the story; wood harvested on site became the stair, rails, and major beams. The result? It’s a warm, gathering-place home — proof that Blue Ridge Timberwrights can bring a centuries-old vision to life.
