Adding A Piece of History To Our Modern Farmhouse

We recently commissioned Future Folk Supply Co to create a rustic, reclaimed wood mantle for our living room fireplace. The mantle was installed recently and we couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. To make it even more special, we learned that this piece of wood has a pretty cool history.

Future Folk Supply Co used a reclaimed wood beam that they purchased from Salvage Works, a company located in Portland, Oregon that preserves heritage lumber through deconstruction and reuse. Our particular reclaimed wood mantle actually came from the Ft. Vancouver Train Depot.

About Fort Vancouver:

Fort Vancouver was built in the 1930’s. This is where supplies were held for the Civilian Conservation Core (CCC) and was a storage space for items going out on trains. Young men would come here to work for the government to earn money to send home to their families. Most of the men that worked at Fort Vancouver were from rough areas and the camps taught these young men life skills, including hygiene.

REMOVAL OF BUILDINGS AT FORT VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE

News Release from Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Posted on FlashAlert: September 26th, 2018 8:51 AM

The National Park Service has awarded a contract to RJS Construction, Inc., of Washington for the removal of five buildings located in the East and South areas of Vancouver Barracks, within Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. Work is expected to start in early Fall. Several of the buildings intrude on the historic landscape and are in poor condition, and all were identified for removal during the 2012 East and South Vancouver Barracks Master Plan process. The removal of the buildings (Buildings 409, 422, 787, 710, and 750) will meet the goals of reclaiming the historic landscape and promoting reuse of the site.

“As a Woman- and Native American-Owned Small Business, RJS Construction, Inc. is beyond excited to be a part of a project that is focused on respect for history and consideration for the environment. We look forward to partnering with the National Park Service and Fort Vancouver as they move forward with the removal of buildings and salvage of historic wood,” said Chris Boring of RJS Construction, Inc.

The removal of the buildings, three of which are sheds, is a further step in achieving the Master Plan. The work will restore historic views and increase the visibility of the iconic Fort Vancouver and its employee village. The project will also facilitate better access to and circulation within the site, and supports the Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) grant recently awarded to the City of Vancouver for improvements to East 5th Street and the main parking lot for the national park. One building will be partially deconstructed to preserve salvageable wood and allow the wood to be reused locally. “We estimate a yield of 30,000 to 40,000 board feet of historic wood during the deconstruction efforts. The salvaged wood will gain a second life by being re-used locally as furniture, exposed structural pieces, mantel pieces, etc,” said Der Lovett of the subcontractor, Lovett Deconstruction Inc.

“We are very pleased to continue moving ahead and bringing the East and South Barracks to life as the Sustainable, Historic Campus for Public Service envisioned through the Master Plan public process. Through this work, we will be improving the safety and visibility of the site,” shared Superintendent Tracy Fortmann.

Contact Info:

Contact: Tracy Fortmann, Superintendent, (360) 816-6205, tracy_fortmann@nps.gov 

Contact: Mary Hazell, Project Manager, (360) 816-6238, mary_hazell@nps.gov 

More at http://go.nps.gov/zutr48

About Future Folk Supply Co:

Future Folk Supply Co believes in the idea of wanting better, not more. The goods they make have their love, hopes and dreams in them.  They believe in solid craftsmanship, having a sense of humor and spreading a little magic. Their goal is to create one of a kind products that will stand the test of time. 

Future Folk Supply Co designs and builds unique interior and exterior finishes to compliment a wide variety of styles. Commercial or Residential. Check out their portfolio to get inspired.