Jacob Upham PC ’26

“This is where I want to be”

Jacob Upham, age 39 | Sanborton, New Hampshire
Preservation Carpentry ’26

What did you do before coming to NBSS?

I joined the U.S. Navy right after college and served as a surface warfare officer. I then enrolled in graduate school at Boston University (BU), where I earned an MBA.

I went on to work in supply chain management and, most recently, was designing warehouses for robotics implementations.

When/how did you discover for discipline/field?

I was raised around folks who did a lot with their hands, so I’ve always had that pull. While I was growing up in Mineral Wells, Texas, my friend’s dad, Mike, made furniture and turned bowls. When I was in grad school at BU, Mike visited and we were exploring Boston and ended up in the North End. He knew about NBSS and suggested we swing by. It was the first time I’d heard of it, and he planted the seed.

Then, three years ago, I was visiting my aunt in Washington, D.C., and we visited the National Gallery of Art, which is this amazing masonry Greek Revival building. Standing inside, I wasn’t even looking at the art. All I could think was that if something happened to this building, who in the world would even know how to fix it? That was the first time I became curious about preservation.

Why did you choose to invest in training for a new career?

I was working from home, and whenever I had even 10 free minutes between meetings, I found myself running out to my shop in the barn to work on a project. I realized the meaning of life is not in the millionth row of an Excel file. 

I started researching the School and found the Preservation Carpentry (PC) program. When I looked into the GI Bill eligibility, I decided to apply.

In the area where my wife and I live, we are surrounded by old homes. I wanted to be able to work in the community where we’ve chosen to settle down and establish our roots. That was very meaningful for the decision as well.

What are some ways you have felt supported during your time at School?

In addition to the financial aid I received, the breadth of knowledge of the instructional staff is incredible. I could ask one of my Instructors to tell me everything they know about any topic, and they’d put down their tools and take 10 minutes to completely dive into it. That was awesome. In addition, the School’s network stands out. I’ve met leading folks in timber framing and plastering and all different areas of preservation directly through the curriculum here. Those connections are so powerful.

How has your life changed because you chose to go to NBSS?

I approached this program like an incubation period. It was difficult to be away from home during the week. But I took time at night to read up on the craft or fix old tools. I let it all wash over me for a couple of years and have come out the other end excited to see what’s next.

Unfortunately, Mike, who told me about the School, passed away before I started. But I share pictures of my woodturning projects with his wife and family. It keeps these bonds going.

What’s next for you?

In the short-term, I will be working for an NBSS graduate Oliver Fifield PC ’13, who is super well respected for his skill in restoration and preservation. We will be working on a building that needs a new dry stone foundation.

In the mid-term, I realized that I really love timber frame roofs, and all of the coolest roof framing is in churches. So I am very interested in restoring country churches in northern New England.

And finally, in the long-term, I have this idea that I want to build a Norwegian stave church. I acknowledge that this is a wild idea … but it would be awesome!

What’s one of your favorite places in or around Boston?

It’s a bit further afield, but we did a whole week on Nantucket studying lime mortar. As part of that, we got to go up into the roof and the bell tower of the Historic Unitarian Meeting House, and it was awesome. In the sanctuary, there’s this massive vaulted ceiling, and we got to go up into the attic, which has this unique truss system. While we were up there, I turned to my Instructor Michael Burrey and said, ‘This is where I want to be.’