Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2019 - 57

Windsors turned out to be tougher than We certainly didn't have enough money
expected. In the summer of 1983, Bu- for me to spend the night at a hotel. I figchanan was visiting friends near Marion ured showing up, with some chairs in my
in western North Carolina, where he was hand, was the best thing I could do."
Buchanan sold two that day; the naliving at the time, when he "serendipitously" ran into Dave Sawyer, an accom- tional landmark now houses 12 of his
plished Windsor chairmaker from Ver- pieces.
The chairmaking process is much the
mont. Buchanan started writing letters to
his new mentor before training with him same as it was 300 years ago, when the first
for a week in New England the following Windsors were reportedly shipped from
year. He got rid of the rest of his power Windsor, England, to London. Buchanan
tools, except for an electric lathe, which starts with a white oak log acquired from
a sawmill, splitting and shaping it with a
he still uses.
drawknife while wet beIn 1985, Buchanan
fore drying it in a kiln
and his wife Marilyn, a
that runs off a light bulb.
teacher, decided it was
Then he fashions the legs
time to move from their
from sugar maple before
countryside rental place
carving the seat from an
at the edge of the Blue
Eastern white pine board
Ridge Mountains. She
and boring holes with
wanted neighbors neara brace and auger bit to
by. He couldn't stand
assemble the parts. All
the thought of living
* White oak, because of its
chairs, both traditional
in a subdivision. Both
strength and bendability.
* Hard (sugar) maple. "The
and contemporary, are
wanted to lessen the
tight grain enables it to hold
finished with milk paint.
environmental impact
crisp, clean lines and edges."
Prices range from $1,200
of driving everywhere.
* Walnut, which "is about as
for a loop back side chair
So they set out to find
perfect as you can possibly
to $5,000 for a Mantis
a small, family-friendget. It's like Baby Bear's bed.
rocker.
ly town where their
It's not too hard and it's not
Buchanan no longer
then-2-year-old daughtoo soft. It's stable, and it's
one of the most beautiful
travels to teach, instead
ter Summer, who has
woods in the world. And it's
hosting one-week workDown syndrome, could
plentiful here in the southern
shops with three stuwalk about safely and
Appalachian Mountains."
dents each.
truly be part of the com-NH
"Most of them are semunity.
rious hobbyists," he says.
On a hometown visit
to Kingsport, friends of Buchanan's par- "My average student is probably a 65-yearents happened to mention Jonesborough. old engineer or surgeon." For younger
"So we took a drive over here," Bu- students who can't afford the classes, Buchanan says. "And before we got the chanan has posted 120 free how-to videos
whole length of Main Street, Marilyn on YouTube. He also sells DVDs and patsaid, 'This is it.'" The couple moved with terns for 10 different chairs.
In the early 1990s, he and two friends
their two girls-little Maria was just a few
weeks old-to the downtown historic dis- founded GreenWood, a sustainable foresttrict and Buchanan began making chairs ry project in Latin America. "It was kind
fulltime. In his backyard, he maintains a of out of frustration, out of not feeling like
garden and a 16-foot-by-20-foot timber- we were doing anything positive when
framed building where potential buyers it came to deforestation," he says. "Here
can browse by appointment only. Buchan- we were using this material for our livelihood but we were doing nothing to try to
an also sells chairs out of his home.
Not an aggressive marketer by nature, ensure that it's going to be around for a
in 1987 Buchanan received a letter from long time." For 10 years, Buchanan helped
Monticello, asking him to submit infor- rainforest residents produce sustainable
items, such as guitar parts, thereby providmation about his chairs.
"I immediately just jumped in the car," ing jobs while protecting the habitat.
He is also co-founder of Jonesborough
he recalls. "I left about 5:00 that morning.

CURTIS
BUCHANAN'S
3 FAVORITE
WOODS TO
WORK WITH

The timeless beauty and construction of
Windsor chairs, alive for centuries, is distinctly
evident in these examples of the work of Curtis
Buchanan.

Locally Grown, which includes the popular farmers market, an annual farm-totable dinner and the Boone Street Market
store.
"We live right in the middle of town
and want to try to make this the best place
possible to live," Buchanan says. "That's
not going to happen if you wait for somebody else to do it. It's up to you."
More info: curtisbuchananchairmaker.
com.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019

Blue Ridge Country - November/December 2019

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