If you’re shopping for the Hoo who has everything, consider giving a little bit of the Grounds.
Maybe you can’t wrap up the University of Virginia’s Lawn, but you could put a bow around a slab of the Rotunda’s felled white oak, Shannon Library’s tulip poplar or the Gilmer Hall red maple with its burled, spalted, curling ambrosia-streaked grain.
UVA Sawmilling is offering wood with UVA provenance, harvested from trees felled on Grounds and in the surrounding community, at a special sale Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the UVA ReUSE Store, 580 McCormick Rd.
Members of the School of Architecture’s student-led initiative have prepped the wood, suitable for creating tables, fine furniture and art.
“We’ve put the effort into drying them all the way and flattening them so that they’re ready for purchasers to turn into things like heirloom tables with a back story that will last a good, long time,” said Andrew Spears, fabrication lab technician, sawmilling coordinator and co-founder of UVA Sawmilling.
Pick up a piece of the Siberian elm from the Chemical Engineering building. Create a Wahoo vibe with part of the Rugby Row honey locust, or choose woods from a host of trees that once shaded studying students and beautified landscapes.
“These are great for creating something to celebrate. Coffee tables are a great option because it’s something that you’re going to see right in front of you while you’re relaxing,” Spears said. “There’s a lot of memories in this wood.”
The wood and memories are why UVA Sawmilling exists. The program grew from an independent study that Spears led in 2019 to provide lumber for the University community from trees around Grounds that were cut to make way for building projects, improvements and safety concerns.
Andrew Spears, co-founder of UVA Sawmilling, stands next to a pile of logs felled at the University Gardens apartments site. (Photo by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications)
Much of the wood from felled trees on Grounds now ends up with UVA Sawmilling. The project also receives willow oaks taken down from Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall. Proceeds from the upcoming sale help fund the organization, which makes wood available for student projects.
“The wood and the trees are tied to a place. We had the big willow oak come down when they redesigned McCormick Road last year, and I was able to take pictures of the tree while it was still alive,” Spears said. “You start to think about the shade it provided to thousands of students every day and the impact it had on that spot on Grounds. It makes it relatable and connective for somebody who might end up with that piece of wood.”
Spears said custom creations can be made of lumber purchased from anywhere, but there is something about wood that tells a story.
