1. William Truax
137 Holmes Road Center Barnstead, NH 03225
603-269-3253
WillTruax@Yahoo.com
Relevant work history
A deep sense of history, and several timber and restoration job experiences, led me to evolve my carpentry
career towards one wholly specializing in timber framing and timber frame restoration beginning in 1989.
1992 - I accepted a job offer from Upper Loft Design of Lakemont Georgia, during my tenure there two events
occurred,which to this day continue to steer my career path. ULD was contracted to repair and erect an English
frame dating from 1540, and an English master carpenter was hired to teach the French Scribe timber layout
system. Raising a frame I was then incapable of cutting gave rise to many questions, Mr. Russel was perhaps then
the only direct link to the answers. I assisted in the instruction of his Scribe / Cruck framing workshop, and have
since that time engaged in a sub-specialty of historically traditional timber framing layout systems.
1994 - I was hired by that same English master carpenter to help replicate Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in
Alexander Mills North Carolina. Upon that jobs end, I returned home to New Hampshire to establish my company,
The Truax Timberwright Woodworks.
1994 - I was subcontracted to help replicate the Malabar Farm main barn, which had then been recently lost to fire,
this barn stood / stands at Malabar Farm State Park in Lucas, Ohio
1996 - I was subcontracted and appointed layout foreman of a group of specialist timber framers assembled to
produce an 11,600 sq ft timber framed country club house for the Beaver Falls Country Club, Beaver Falls
Pennsylvania. This structure was based on a frame typology typical to the area and the seven historical frames on
club grounds.
1999 - I was one of three principals contracted by the Canterbury Shaker Village to design and replicate a barn
which had been sold off in the declining years of the villages population. This design was based on a survey of all
the extant frames in the village, together with photographic and archaeological evidence. To help save CSV money,
we executed the framing by holding an instructional workshop in Square Rule timber layout and hand tool joint
cutting techniques.
2001 - I was subcontracted by Rondout Woodworking.of Woodstock New York, Rondout specializes in the
restoration of early mills, and was contracted to replicate the Herrling Sawmill, an up & down mill, for the Wade
House Historical Site, Greenbush Wisconsin.
(1) Truax

2. 2001 - I was contracted by the New Hampshire Farm Museum to construct a round barn to house their Knob Mill
and the other apple processing artifacts in the museum collection. As a cost cutting exercise, I offered a workshop in
the French Scribe timber layout technique, this well attended three week class, saw most all the attendees stay
several additional weeks to complete and raise this complex barn, a gift, which will continue to amaze me through
to the end of my days.
2002 - I was contracted by Handshouse Studio along with a select group of fellow members of the Timber Framers
Guild to instruct students from the Mass College of Art and the Wentworth Institute of Technology and together
with those students, replicate the 17th century Perronet Crane, a human / treadwheel powered machine. This was
an exercise in “experimental archaeology” attempting to learn about a no longer existent technology by building it.
2003 - I was again contracted by Handshouse under similar circumstance to help replicate “Buschnell's Turtle” ca.
1776, the worlds first, and yes, a largely wooden submarine. This effort was filmed by Windfall for airing on BBC
and TDC.
2005 - I was hired by the Timber Framers Guild as co-instructor of its first Professional Development Workshop, to
teach business wide skills to recent entrants into the professional world of timber framing, and in a followup
workshop which completed a large memorial pavilion in Angola Indiana.
2005 - I was hired by the United Kingdom Carpenters Fellowship in cooperation with Northmoor Trust as one of
three co-instructors to teach Square Rule layout in a workshop which cut and raised a large timberframe to house
the offices of this Conservation Trust at their farm in Little Wittingham, Oxfordshire, UK.
2006 - My working knowledge of Scribe Rule layout, my hewing skills and ability to work hewn and riven timber
saw me sub-contracted by Holder Brothers Timber Frames of Monroe Georgia to help replicate a first period
building dating from 1670, to rive and hew timber for, then layout and frame the Indentured Servants Quarters at
the Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site, Charleston South Carolina.
2008 - I was subcontracted by Timberworks of Interest of Pilot Virginia to help move and restore a large hewn log
crib forebay barn, and replicate the house and summer kitchen at the Blue Ridge Institute & Farm Museum in
Ferrum Virginia.
2013 - I was subcontracted by Rondout Woodworking to assist in shoring and vertically raising, and placement of a
new set of Locust Sub-Sills, and the replication of wooden machine parts in The Bertolet Mill, an Up & Down
Sawmill at the Daniel Boone Homestead, Birdsboro Pennsylvania.
In addition to new builds and replications, I choose to work as a preservation carpenter, and actively
seek restorations and rehabilitations, and my intense interest in Covered Bridges sees me pursue
Bridgewrighting projects as circumstance allows.
(2) Truax

3. Bridge specific experience
1992 – I volunteer as one of many members of the Timber Framers Guild, and assist in the construction of the
Speed River Covered Bridge in Guelph Ontario.
1994 – I volunteer to Graton Associates, help fabricate the lower lateral bracing system and assist with the roll
in the Corbin Covered Bridge replication, Newport New Hampshire.
1998 / 9 – I subcontract to Barns & Bridges of New England on the extensive rehabilitation of the Ashuelot
Covered Bridge, a Town Truss in Winchester New Hampshire.
1999 – I subcontract to B&B in the emergency repair of truck damage to the west portal of the Coombs
Covered Bridge, Winchester New Hampshire.
2001 – I subcontract to B&B in the emergency repair of truck damage to the east portal and much of the tie /
upper lateral bracing system of the Coombs Covered Bridge, Winchester New Hampshire.
2002 / 3 – I subcontract to B&B in the extensive rehabilitation of the Cilleyville Covered Bridge, a Town Truss
in Andover, New Hampshire.
2004 – I subcontract to B&B in the extensive rehabilitation of the Bennet Bean Covered Bridge, a Paddleford
Truss in Lincoln Plantation Maine.
2006 – I subcontract to B&B in the dismantling of the Bell Ford Covered Bridge of Seymour Indiana. This the
last Post Combination Truss in existence, its parts were cataloged and put into storage for eventual rebuilding.
2006 – I subcontract to B&B in the rigging and shoring up of the Contoocook Covered RR Bridge, to effect the
replacement of its bolsters and a structural repair of local damage to its upstream west corner, a Double Town
in Hopkinton New Hampshire.
2009 – I subcontract to B&B in the extensive rehabilitation of the Gilpin's Falls Covered Bridge, a Burr Truss in
Bayview Maryland.
2010 / 11 - I subcontract to B&B in emergency repairs of heavy truck damage to the Mt. Orne Covered Bridge,
a Howe Truss Bridge with one end in Lancaster New Hampshire and another in Lunenburg Vermont.
2010 / 11 - I subcontract to B&B in the replication of the Moose Brook Bridge, a Howe Truss RR bridge which
had been lost to arson in 2004. I lead the framing crew during the construction of Truss II with a scheduling
conflict requiring B&B's absence.
2011 - I subcontract to B&B to repair Irene driven flood damage to Hall Bridge, a Town Truss in Rockingham
Vermont.
2011 - I am hired by the Timber Framers Guild as lead instructor in a Bridgewrighting workshop in which we
built a Pratt Truss Covered Bridge for the town of Chester New Hampshire.
2013 - I am hired By FHWA / NPS-HAER / NCPTT to demonstrate Bridgewrighting skills and techniques at the
Second National Covered Bridge Conference in Dayton Ohio.
2013 / 14 - I was hired by Graton Associates to assist in the extensive restoration of the Blair Covered Bridge, a
two span Long Truss in Campton New Hampshire.
2014 - I was subcontracted by The National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges to assist in
emergency stabilization efforts to The Sanborn Covered Bridge, a Paddleford Truss in Lyndonville Vermont.
(3) Truax

4. Skills demonstrations
I have demonstrated traditional carpentry skills for numerous events and organizations, including -
Canterbury Shaker Village, Canterbury New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Farm Museum, Milton New Hampshire
Old Fort Number Four, Charlestown New Hampshire
The Newport Covered Bridge & Arts Festival, Newport New Hampshire
Colonial Williamburg, Williamsburg Virginia
The Weald & Downland Open Air Museum, Singleton, West Sussex, UK
The Second National Covered Bridge Conference, Dayton Ohio
Speaking engagements
As a then rare practitioner of both of the two distinctly different layout systems in use on either side of the
Atlantic, I was was hired by the United Kingdom Carpenters Fellowship, a trade group of timber frame and
preservation carpenters, to speak on and demonstrate the Square Rule timber layout system at their national
conference in 2002.
Professional affiliations
Member - National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges
Member- Timber Framers Guild, I held a longtime seats on the former Education Committee, and later served
on the Apprenticeship Training Committee.
(4) Truax