Craftsmanship that Stands the Test of Time

“There’s a reason why buildings from the 18th & 19th centuries are still standing,” says Preservation Carpentry Department Head Steven O’Shaughnessy PC ’99. It’s the combination of craftsmanship and quality materials, he says.

Watch this video of Steven describing what he’s seen as a preservation carpenter today.

Here, Steven says:

“What’s been lost in the last, say fifty to eighty years, is that more and more construction of buildings and repair of buildings is relying upon the materials to do all the work. Not the craftsmanship. It’s questionable what the durability of that will be.

There’s a reason why buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries are still standing, and it’s not because of materials alone—although the quality of the materials were there. And the quality were there because the craftsmen knew to find them. They knew to judge a piece of wood that should be keeping their shop warm by throwing it in the fire, versus one that can be included in their work.

Our program is also training a keen eye to distinguish between the quality of materials, even before you begin the craftsmanship part of things.”