Greenbrier County man specializes in reclaiming old log structures
By Zack Harold, Charleston Daily Mail, W.Va. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
For the last 16 years, he has traveled all over
Sometimes he and his crew put the structures back together just as they were built. Other times, they use reclaimed materials to build modern homes that only look centuries old.
And while the business is only a part-time venture for Bowe -- he's a full-time insurance salesman in
The DIY Network recently aired the pilot episode of "
The episode, which aired last month, focused on Bowe and his workers as they took down an Indian barn built in the 1800s by
It's not yet clear whether "
Bowe seems optimistic about his chances, however.
He said DIY's viewers jumped by 33 percent when the show's pilot episode premiered
Bowe began reclaiming old lumber in the 1990s while working as the human resources director for Independence Coal in
One of his coworkers asked Bowe to help take demolish an old building. Bowe found the structure was made of rare wormy chestnut, so he kept the wood and resold it. He then found another old barn, took it apart, and sold the lumber.
The business started taking off, so he quit his job at the coal company. The decision was a little too hasty, however.
"Three months later (I) figured out not everybody was going to buy what I was selling," Bowe said.
He had to take a job in Knoxville to make ends meet, while continuing his reclamation business on the side. He eventually made enough to move back to
In the beginning, Bowe just drove around
"I just knocked on doors," he said.
He eventually made his way to
Since then they have completed dozens of projects, everything from backyard potting sheds to multi-million dollar homes.
Antique Cabins and Barns was hired to build a recreation of
The company also built a recreation of a slave's cabin at Thomas Jefferson's
But Bowe said one of his proudest accomplishments was a refurbished
The museum's former cabin was made of telephone polls.
"Even when I was a kid on field trips, I remember thinking, 'That's not a real cabin.' Twenty years later I got to build a real cabin," he said.
When Bowe and company find an old building, they number and tag each piece before taking it apart. The disassembled structure is then shipped to Antique Cabins' "bone yard" in
"After 150 years, the corners aren't level, the tops have sagged. There's quite a bit of work to make these old houses livable again," he said.
The old materials are full of irregularities. No two logs and no two floorboards are cut the same, so everything has to be custom fit by Bowe's crew.
They replace logs that are deteriorated, carve new notches in the logs to create tight seals and treat the lumber for bugs. All the work is done by hand, either with modern power tools or old-school hand tools.
"When you're taking out a big hunk of log you use a power tool. When you're refining it to get a watertight fit, you have to do that by hand," Bowe said.
While structures are sometimes reconstructed in their original form, Antique Cabins often uses old materials to build new, modern structures.
That way, the houses have all the comforts of modern living -- like modern plumbing and granite countertops -- while maintaining an old-timey charm.
"It's something real. Something handcrafted. Something manmade. It takes you back to a simpler time," he said. "You wonder where the logs came from and who built them. It seems like you take less for granted."
He said the old logs, boards, joists and timbers also create an atmosphere that cannot be duplicated with new materials.
"If you step foot into an old log building, all of your senses are engaged. You have the smell of the fire. You have the sound of a creaking old board or a thumb latch that's been made by a blacksmith. It's visually appealing, because of the irregularities," Bowe said. "It just feels safer."
The idea for a television show based on Bowe's business began back in 2004.
An independent filmmaker named
Bowe was busy at the time, but suggested Caplan visit the "bone yard" a few miles out of town and come back later. He did, and became so interested in Bowe's business he asked if he could come back and shoot video.
Caplan produced a short film called "Down Home," which is still available on Bowe's website (www.antique
cabinsandbarns.com). He entered the film in some festivals and sparked some interest from cable networks, although nothing materialized.
Caplan eventually got the DIY Network to agree to a pilot episode of a reality television show based on Bowe and his crew.
"He's been the driving force behind this. We've just been working," Bowe said.
And while he seems a bit reluctant to become a television star, Bowe said he hopes the show will help combat stereotypes about his home state.
"I'm tired of seeing West Virginians at the top of the list on the bad categories and at the bottom of the list on good categories. We have to represent ourselves with respect," he said. "The image we put out for
You can watch the pilot episode of
Contact writer
___
(c)2013 the Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, W.Va.)
Visit the Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, W.Va.) at www.dailymail.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
Wordcount: | 1146 |
EzPaycheck Payroll Software 30 Day Trial Available for Small to Mid-sized Restaurants
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News