| Jerry at work refurbishing Savannah State University’s historic windows. Here are two views of the windows from the architectural drawings. This is Adams Hall. The double hung windows are eight feet tall with four foot radius half circles above.  Elevations of Adams Hall
 A Grand Entrance
Following best practices,we are using reclaimed wood to make the repairs.  Southern Pine Company of Georgia,under contract with Hardin Construction,has the job of assisting in phase two of renovations to Morgan Hall (circa 1920s) and Adams Hall (1931). The windows of both buildings had been neglected for a long time. Southern Pine is using reclaimed cypress from the window casings at Savannah’s Neal-Blun complex at 3515 Montgomery Street for the material to make repairs and replacements for the damaged sash. Seasoned for decades,the cypress is a perfect match.   
Besides window sash refurbishment,Southern Pine is contributing more reclaimed materials for Savannah State. Crown molding,dentils,friezes,jambs,and sills out of reclaimed pine are all being reproduced from wood that has been rescued. And the workshop smells great!  
 Ever wonder where this reclamation machine gets it’s motor?
 Well that’s easy,good old fashioned hard work,not to mention a discerning selective eye. Evalina,Jaco,Jimmy and Wesley sort the good Savannah gray bricks at our westside yard. We would be nothing without our tireless and dedicated staff who keep the reclamation train on the tracks. Thank you for all that you do!
Taking repurposing reclaimed materials,Lance Parker adds texture and simplicity to his furniture and home accents. Doorknobs function as coat hooks for welcomed guests. Shelves appear as wood framing exposed through a wall. Headboards made from reclaimed wood showcase serenity in the bedroom. Lance reveals the natural and man-made features of the materials to reveal how the materials are transformed. Throughout our blog entries,our readers have probably noticed our topic of repurposing window sashes…as you can see,window sash has countless purposes for art and design. Thank you to Lance and Diana Parker for their work. Contact Lance Parker at lpreclaimedfurtniture@yahoo.com for when and where he is selling! Hey everyone! So if you all do not know,Southern Pine has been working with Savannah High School and their Greenhouse Project involving special education students. They have been on-site,prepping the back yard for the new garden and greenhouse! It’s turning into quite the urban garden,come by and see!! The second on-site collaboration,was with one of the Savannah HIgh students and Wooden Sheep! We are beginning a basic apprenticeship to emerge these students within a green industry.  This table project included reclaimed heart pine planks coupled with dumpster derived legs and frame pieces. We wanted to complete a simple construction table to showcase all three entities:Southern Pine,Wooden Sheep and Savannah High. And it turned out glorious! For those of you at Re:FEST,you were able to see it first hand. If you would like to see it in person,run on down to Wooden Sheep’s downtown gallery on Liberty Street…it is being showcased there!! Enjoy! Here’s a little blog post on the progress of the site. Just to keep everyone in the loop of its reclamation! Click here for the link to my Blog!  The site we all once knew so well... Sustain Savannah v.1.0 
WOW! that’s really all that should be said…well maybe Amazing,REfreshing and REvitalizing! Thanks to all that came,saw and experienced Re:fest. All structures were auctioned off and two dogs were adopted:hooray for reclaimed materials and reclaimed dogs! And a really big thanks to all the food and beverage sponsors of the event. Please support them with dining at their restaurants,sipping their drinks and telling them how awesome they are too! And we can’t forget the music…a big hug and hip shake goes out to every performer as well! Let us know your thoughts and what you liked best about the event!!!! so here’s an idea. well really a couple. 1. the old term,one [wo]man’s trash is another [wo]man’s treasure,really should be included in the executive summary of Southern Pine’s business plan. 2. Here at Southern Pine we have a lot of things. And one of them is window sash. The summer months on site included yard work,moving wood,yard work,mosquito bites,moving sinks,yard work,staring at tubs that I should be moving…well you get the point. And amongst the clearing,I saw it. The perfect location for our “window sash”greenhouse. So,if you were to have a greenhouse of your own,what all would it encompass? What would be your basic needs? What style,size and design would you want? I would love our Southern Pine blog followers to help shape the NEEDS of this project. Remember,reclamation is at the heart of the design,so share your ideas of trash becoming treasure with me! Here’s a couple of images to spark inspiration.   
Our current facility has a long history. First,it was the Star Laundry that opened in the 1920′s later to become the Rogers Laundry and finally closing down as a laundry facility by the 1970′s. Condemned and destined for the landfill,the Star Laundry building was purchased and restoration was begun in 1998. It now houses the offices and antique wood mill of the Southern Pine Company of Georgia. 
In preparation for our next event on October 1st, ReFest 1.0 (more on this later) we thought the old place could use a little sprucing up. And what better place to start then our iconic awning. The transformation is like night and day…  The goal was to pay homage to the history of the place while making it communicate for Southern Pine. In starting the rehab a little unknown history was revealed. We only have so many photos of the build as it has existed through history and all of them black and white. A little sandpaper however revealed the brilliant yellow that once was used as accent. The story behind this seems to tie back to Savannah’s ship building industry active around the time of the Second World War. When the war was finally over and the industry disappeared,this ‘safety yellow’used to paint ship components was in abundance. It was repurposed throughout the region,including as it turns out,by the Star Laundry. Just a little trivia to wet your appetite….
Here is how it all came together. Thanks soooo much to Jester,John,Ben and Charlie for truly excellent work!     
Visit our Flickr page to see more… Whether you are fascinated with the end result or where it came from,repurposed materials always come with a story. Southern Pine takes pride in recycling,reclaiming,and repurposing. Whether it is left-to-waste150 year old hand hewn dock piers,dredged river recovery logs,or deconstructed homes destine for the wrecking ball,a new surprise is always waiting around the corner. Some times literally… 
There have been three vacant homes around the corner from our facility for the last several years. Two were affected by fire a while back but left standing. As I arrived at work one day this week,I was greeted by the sound of breaking glass and crashing lumber. 
As far as we know these properties were ordered down by the city in what remains of Savannah’s annual 100 Worst Properties Program,( a lot more can be said about this issue,but here is an article from 2007) in an attempt to combat urban blight. The wheels started spinning a few days ago and the city came knocking with a bulldoozer. Three houses were ordered demolished and one came down on day 1. However,a silver lining soon emerged. The city agreed to give us one day to save the little house next door if we could remove it in 24 hrs. 
No small feat but Ramsey and the boys jumped to action. Day 2,our tiny cottage is on a trailer ready for its new home.  A lot has been written in the last several years about The Tiny House. Building them,buying them,the advantages of downsizing to live in them. Once it gets written up in the New Yorker, New York Times, The Economist,and The Financial Times, does that make it a movement? Imagine the advantages of in living in a tiny house that is 100% reclaimed…
Stay tuned to see what we have planned for this little beaute… | |
Southern Pine Company of Georgia,under contract with Hardin Construction,has the job of assisting in phase two of renovations to Morgan Hall (circa 1920s) and Adams Hall (1931). The windows of both buildings had been neglected for a long time. Southern Pine is using reclaimed cypress from the window casings at Savannah’s Neal-Blun complex at 3515 Montgomery Street for the material to make repairs and replacements for the damaged sash. Seasoned for decades,the cypress is a perfect match.
