This 1860s bank barn featured beautiful joinery and massive timbers. Neglect and unfortnate modifications threatened its continued survival. Fitzgerald's Heavy Timber Contstruction worked with the owner to develop the concept of what a woodworker's dream shop could be. After relaying and repointing the foundation stonework,  we restored the frame with a combination of salvaged material and locally-harvested and milled oak timbers fastened with traditional joinery repairs.  We enclosed the structure in Polyurethane-core Structural Insulated Panels, installed a radiant heating and cooling system featuring geothermal wells, and fitted out the barn with an electrical system capable of powering many industrial level pieces of woodworking equipment, a complete dust-collection system, climate controlled material storage, separate finishing rooms, office space, kitchenette, full bath, and guest quarters. 

Before Construction	Roof and Siding Removed -- Beginning Frame Repairs
Corner Post Replacement In Progress	Partition 4 Supported on Temporary Cribbing -- Forebay Wall Will Be Moved and Reconstructed Under Partition 4
Bird's Eye View of Frame Repairs In Progress	New Roof Frame Being Installed On Origianl Timber Frame
This Tie Beam Had Been Cut Out In Earlier Modifications -- We Used Traditional Timber Joinery To Replace It In-Kind	Frame Repairs and New Interior Partitions and Floors
Forebay Wall Rebuilt -- Stonework Awaits Repointing	Installing Structural Insulated Panels
We Embedded Radiant Tubing in the Floors to Provide Heating and Cooling	We Combine Our Knowledge Of Historic Joinery With the Expertise of Our Structural Engineering Partners to Design Critical Frame Modifications Like This New Floor Level
Interior View of Woodworking Shop	Living Space Overlooking Machinery Room
Barn Conversion Completed in Dec. 2008, New Interior Stair (Photograph Courtesy of Fitzgerald's Heavy Timber Construction, Inc., 2006).	Custom Made Arch Door
Forebay Wall Louvers and Doors Reused Over New Windows and Doors	Replicated Heavy-Framed Barn Bridge Doors Hide a Climate-Controlled Entry
Forebay Wall Moved Forward to Better Support Partition 4 -- Complete with New Doors and Windows	Conversion of a ca. 1860 Bank Barn From Agricultural Use to a Woodworker's Dream Studio

10801 Powell Road, Thurmont, Maryland 21788, USA

Phone: (301) 898-9340   |  Fax: (301) 898-9341

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