Appalachian Woods is a family run business owned by Jonas Hochstetler. Jonas and his family have been doing business in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia since 1976 and in more recent years have expanded to reach customers around the country and some from over seas. The Hochstetler family is dedicated to the preservation of old lumber and timbers found throughout the Appalachian Mountains. Antique
wood is unmatched in beauty and in character as well as the unique historical significance it brings to life today. Recycling old wood is very popular with many people around the country who are concerned about the environmental effects that deforesting vast acreage of land has on our quality of life. Most of our materials come from buildings built around the turn of the century or before. This lumber was taken from old growth forests a hundred years ago or more and does not require the cutting of any more trees. We utilize a variety of wood species and one of the most unique and beautiful woods that we reclaim is American Chestnut. This tree was one of the most widely used woods in the Appalachians. With its light weight, unique reddish-brown color and resistance to decay, Chestnut was used for a variety of things from log cabins to split rail fences. In the early 1900's a blight was accidentally introduced to these trees from Asia and by the 1920's most Chestnut trees had died. Today the only way to enjoy this beautiful wood is by reclaiming this treasure from old barns, log cabins and houses. We also re-mill large Heart Pine timbers taken from demolition sites and turn it into beautiful Antique Heart Pine Flooring. Heart Pine is virgin cut Southern Longleaf Pine that was used to build much of the industrial revolution here in the east. After the old growth forests were cut over the only place to get this quality wood is from these old buildings. Follow this link for a more detailed "history of Heart Pine". Taking down old buildings is just the first step in a long process that goes into preparing this wood for a finished product. The first thing that is done once the wood arrives at our lumberyard is to remove all hardware from it. A very painstaking and time-consuming process accomplishes this. We use metal detectors to first locate the old nails and then use chisels, pliers and hammers to take the nails out while destroying as little of the wood as possible. From here any rotted or damaged wood is cut out and the lumber is then dried if necessary. Now the material is finally ready to be used for a variety of projects. We supply homeowners, building contractors, cabinet shops and architectural millwork shops with a variety of different products milled from this antique lumber. Our Antique Wood is being used today to make flooring, wainscoting, paneling, moldings, doors, furniture and other fine products. This antique wood gives our customers the opportunity to own a piece of American history. Along with the unique beauty and character of Antique Wood comes the knowledge that you are helping to conserve our natural resources by utilizing this recycled wood. At Appalachian Woods we are dedicated to quality workmanship and high standards of ethical business practices. We have many happy customers and will be glad to give you some references if you need them. Contact us with details on your building project and let us help you utilize our fine products. Thank you for taking the time to read a little about our company. We look forward to having the opportunity of working together with you on your projects.
