“From a young age I was drawn to Victorian style homes with intricate trim profiles, abstract windows, wrinkled glass, and homes with identities of their own. Classic colonial era homes with symmetry and stateliness, to well preserved cape style homes with an old captain's name on the front with the year it was built. Growing up in Massachusetts provided me with an incredible appreciation for these types of homes and timeless craftsmanship. I found it remarkable that these buildings were still standing and doing so with grace. From this perspective it became clear that these homes were built by a craftsman who put their heart and soul into producing something prominent.

Attending college in Vermont spawned a new appreciation for architecture. The sweeping meadows with old barns that we thought would fall down. The twelve additions to an early style cape house, and the subtle clues one could take to understand the purpose of each of them. Although these old barns and homes may not have appeared to be in the best shape there was always a constant; they were timber framed.

These buildings were crafted by multi-talented people. The joinery in these frames may not have been the prettiest, but it was strong and well executed. It was at this point I knew what I wanted to learn how to do, I wanted to be a timber framer. I worked with a master builder and his crew that summer and was immediately hooked. The books I had read and the drawings of old framing tools, which I now had in my hand and learned to use properly, was addictive.

I continued working full time with this master builder and his talented crew completing a variety of projects. We would always have timber framed projects lined up for the year and also many conventional style construction projects. After a few years of full time work, I started taking on projects of my own on weekends and after work. I was driven to see what I could build and have my name on. My roles switched at work and I had earned the title of lead carpenter; I was now responsible for building these homes and executing these projects as a leader and teacher on the crew. As we finished up projects in late fall I would build cabinets over the winter months, completely gut homes to start remodels on, and take on much larger projects. This was when Sweetgrass Timber was started. A few awesome guys hopped on to work with me and we haven't looked back since.

We’re on a mission to leave our mark as craftsmen and stewards of tradition.”

-Brennan Blair, Founder of Sweetgrass Timber