A tin panel Susie Tucker salvaged from her father’s shed. Her husband, Terry, turned it into a picture frame.
Step into the gracious home of Susie and Terry Tucker in Byhalia, Mississippi, and you’ll notice a series of gray metal picture frames hanging in the foyer. Square and rough-hewn, the edges of these tin panels appear to be peeled back, to create the opening for the needlepointed magnolias that bloom inside.
The frames are unique and significant. They were once part of a well-loved tool shed, and now transformed into a keepsake that reflects her father’s life as a farmer in Lauderdale County.
“I wanted to use the tin for something and that was the first thing I thought of. I didn’t want something standard. And I like the contrast between the rough tin and the delicate needlepoint,” says Tucker, a retired nurse.
Susie Tucker
You’ll find other architectural touches here, too. A sculptural wrought-iron railing accents an antique sideboard. And the couple’s dining room table uses repurposed metal boiler parts to hold up a burnished table top, made from a cedar tree from the family farm. What makes these home improvements all the more personal is that while Susie is the decorating mastermind, her husband, Terry, is often the maker. “You think of it, I’ll build it,” he’s told her.
Something old is new again
Repurposing architectural elements from old buildings isn’t a new idea. But the intentional harvesting of housing materials before the wrecking ball swings might be. When most buildings were demolished in Memphis, no one thought twice about saving a thing. Those few interested in collecting bits of history would patiently wait at the site in hopes of hauling off a treasure or two.
But no longer. With the popularity of HGTV shows like West End Salvage and Salvage Dogs, architectural salvage is suddenly chic. Homeowners are gaining a new appreciation for the timeless beauty seasoned materials bring. Add the DIY mentality that has taken home decorating by storm and you can see where this is headed. Architectural salvage is gaining an avid following and local vendors are in on the game.
Finding character
During my visit to Heritage Building Supply in Memphis’ Edge District, a millennial drops in to pick up a pair of old wooden doors he’s purchased. He tells the store’s co-founder, Robert Watson, he’s repurposing them to use as panel doors for his condo on Cotton Row.
“I’ve got 100-year-old floors with these 1980s-style finishes. I want the doors to bring more character to the space,” he says.
Watson hears that often. Customers are hungry for a bit of character and history. The store works in partnership with Memphis Heritage, a nonprofit group dedicated to saving historically significant buildings. Their aim is to help people recycle salvaged building materials by collecting donations that are then sold at the store. Here you’ll find an array of wood doors, crown moldings, window frames, and light fixtures. Prices are affordable and the proceeds support the organization.
Phillip Bickerstaff runs Heritage Building Supply at 405 Monroe (above right).
For the past two decades, June West with Memphis Heritage has auctioned off similar goods at the nonprofit’s fundraisers. “The recycling process appeals to me and anyone in historic preservation,” the Executive Director says. The time was finally right for a storefront, and in November 2017 they landed at 405 Monroe Avenue, a downtown building owned by the Will McGowan, a carpenter by trade and president of the Memphis Heritage board.
Every November, Memphis Heritage puts together an “Adapt-a-Door & More Auction and Fundraiser,” a silent auction of artwork and furniture made by local artists, woodworkers, and preservationists. This event gives participants a chance to see how doors and windows are retooled into eye-popping works of wonder. Photo courtesy Memphis Heritage.
For many years, one of the few places you could find architectural salvage was downtown at The Common Market. Now called South Front Antiques, this family-run business has been part of the South Main Historic District since 1975.
Owner Eric Nielsen acquired the business from his father several years ago. The huge building fairly groans with inventory: wrought iron fencing, metal floor grates, fireplace surrounds, all manner of hardware, bathroom fixtures, chandeliers, wood flooring — the list is endless. What’s more, you’ll encounter snippets of Memphis history, since roughly 50 percent of their hoard comes from the city or smaller towns around the Delta.
While I visit, a customer scoops up several delicate glass doorknobs that once graced The Peabody, while another considers how to transform old wooden shutters into signs. People have often repurposed old building materials, says Nielsen. To his point, we walk over to examine a huge industrial table built of wide floor planks that date back to the late 1800s.
“They were recycling material even back then,” he notes. “I had another table come in like this, and it sold in three days for someone’s back porch.”
Nielsen was able to salvage the huge wooden foundry patterns from the William C. Ellis and Sons building on South Front Street. The graphic pieces harken back to the Industrial Revolution and were used to make mechanical parts for cotton gins. Their savage beauty begs for creative repurposing.
Eric Nielsen's Arkansas cabin uses old panel doors as wainscoting and timbers to enhance a wall. Photos by Eric Nielsen.
“You don’t find this kind of untouched stuff every day,” he says. The challenge “is connecting the dots as to finding the right person who may want it.”
Nielsen’s fishing cabin on the Spring River in Arkansas reflects his personal passion for such finds. Here, handsome doors become wainscoting in the living room, with wooden beams pulled from a downtown building creating a frame. Together, they give this rustic room warmth and interest, perfectly complementing a collection of weathered canoe paddles that hang on the wall. Another favorite is an occasional table made from an ornate piece of ironwork Nielsen came by during the renovation of the Strawberry Mansion Bridge in Philadelphia. “It’s got a killer design,” he proudly notes.
Intercepting material before it’s destroyed isn’t easy, however. Memphis Heritage has long marshaled the Preservation Posse, an ad hoc group who gather when West receives word from the city that a building is slated for demolition. Watson remembers going on one such outing near Crosstown. The posse spent the morning doing manual labor just hours ahead of the wrecking crew, pulling up columns, prying off trim, and unhinging doors. “It was a pretty good haul,” he says. But such hauls can be rare.
Addressing blight
When it comes to appreciating the value of salvaged goods, Memphis has a long way to go before catching cities like Portland, Oregon. There, an individual can take classes to become a certified deconstruction contractor. These contractors learn how to meticulously deconstruct a house to harvest usable building materials.
Portland’s housing boom created pressure from neighborhood groups who witnessed the waste of demolished homes and pushed city officials to find alternative solutions. Now, Portland’s code requires deconstruction for all houses or duplexes built prior to 1916. While more costly and time-consuming, that decision could be far-reaching.
With renewed appreciation for architectural salvage, cities like Detroit and Baltimore are also beginning to reframe their blight, seeing older houses through a preservationist’s lens and recognizing the bounty such buildings could hold, work that ultimately keeps such usable materials out of landfills.
Resale is key
The growing market in Memphis for resale is good news for companies like Palladio Garden, whose craftsmen use reclaimed wood to create handsome harvest tables and custom kitchen cabinets.
“You don’t do reclamation with the expectation of saving money. You do it for the esthetic beauty, for the craftsmanship and creativity,” says manager Frank Roberts.
The company started down this road 10 years ago, and one need only look around Palladio’s garden store to appreciate the possibilities. Though much of the building is new construction, it artfully utilizes old brick and lumber to create a space that’s striking. Many of the furnishings on display come from Memphis. Roberts scooped up the wrought-iron Juliet balconies from the French Quarter Inn and Imperial Bowling Lanes. But you’ll also find beautiful, centuries-old doors from Egypt and curvy ironwork from France.
“For some unique pieces, it’s important to come to us at the right point of construction,” he says. “A huge percentage of the architectural business is people saying ‘I want character and charm in my otherwise sterile suburban home.’” With architectural salvage, you can have a little bit of both.
