|
Pilings from Savannah First Dock Continue To Serve As Beautiful
Flooring in Homes Across the Nation
Savannah’s port has always played a significant role
in the city’s history, serving as a leading shipping
avenue for New World products bound for Europe. Now the wharf
pilings that launched those ships 250 years ago is continuing
to live on, as reclaimed wood for new flooring in Savannah
and across the country.
All of a sudden—perhaps with a remembered sense of
patriotism or new nesting instinct—modern designers
and homeowners are rediscovering antique wood floors. One
company that specializes in recovering antique woods recognized
the inherent benefits of the Savannah River dock pilings and
purchased them to remill into luxury flooring, millwork and
stairparts.
The pilings are made of heart pine and heart cypress older
than any previously recovered antique pine and cypress, according
to George Goodwin, president of Goodwin Heart Pine Company,
located outside Gainesville, Fla.,
“We have been recovering heart pine and heart cypress
for more than 25 years and this wood is older than any antique
wood I’ve seen,” Goodwin said. “These pilings
were constructed about the time General James Oglethorpe was
creating Savannah and were hundreds of years old when they
were cut down. And just as Savannah is rich in architectural
and natural beauty, so too is the wood from it’s first
dock.”
The pilings were made from original-growth Longleaf Pine
and Bald Cypress. The cypress is a survivor from prehistoric
times, commonly living more than 1000 years and towering over
100 feet. These giants of the southeastern swamps helped build
America along with heart pine from Longleaf pine trees, which
grew slowly and are hard and extremely durable. Both of these
antique woods are in limited supply and available only from
specialists who reclaim them.
The indigenous woods withstood the elements and became the
principal building materials through the entire area. The
dock was made up of logs and beams, many of which still show
the ax marks where they hand hewn.
Tim Wellford, who owns a restaurant on the pier at St. Simons,
installed Goodwin’s Midnight Heart Pine™ flooring
in his contemporary home and loves both the look and the romantic
history of the historic wood. Next he plans to build an entertainment
center from the Midnight Heart Cypress™.
“I didn’t even know about this wood until I start
researching wood,” Wellford said. “It’s
so much better than any ordinary wood because it’s a
better product, it’s good looking and it has historical
value. I just never knew I could have wood this nice.”
Heart Pine is hard, nearly indestructible and has a rich
red patina. The Savannah River pilings offer antique heart
pine with chocolate tones.
Heart Cypress, also called antique tidewater cypress, is fine
grained and finishes to a warm, honeyed brown. It is often
used for paneling, trim, fireplace surrounds, mantles, whole
slab table tops and exterior projects. The heart cypress from
the Savannah wharf piling are a bit darker.
“Throughout its eons of adaptation, original-growth
cypress developed natural oils that resist insect and water
damage, which you just don’t find in other woods,”
Goodwin said. “It was a favorite of Frank Lloyd Wright’s
and, with its blend of vertical straight grain and arching
swirls, it’s easy to see why.”
Goodwin said the dock functioned through the 1800s and pilings
could still be seen intact from River Street in downtown Savannah
looking toward Hutchinson Island until the summer of 1997.
The decision to build a theme park and raceway created the
need to remove the pilings.
Known for his passion for conserving original-growth wood
without cutting trees, Goodwin finally secured the rights
to buy the pilings after more than 18 months of researching
the issue. The homeowners fortunate enough to install this
rare treasure appreciate his diligence.
“My wife is born and raised in this area,” Wellford
added. “The fact that we have a floor from a local landmark
just adds to the benefits we receive. If we ever sell this
house, I know the historical value will be a great selling
point.”
[Woods] [History]
[Gallery] [Products] [About
Us] [How To] [Contact
Us] [FAQs] [Sitemap] [Home]
|
