Salvage century-old wood in Boston? Now that’s a great idear, as they say in those parts.
Longleaf heart pine decking used in the Terminal Storage Building, known officially as 267–281 Medford Street, built between 1910 to 1913, has been salvaged and milled into flooring by Longleaf Lumber (Cambridge, Mass.).
The warehouse, located near the old commercial wharves in Charlestown, north of downtown Boston on the Charles River, is one of three early 20th-century structures that still stand despite its rough and tumble past.
The pine decking withstood years of longshoremen shuffling goods transported between the port in Boston Harbor and the Boston & Lowell rail yard. The Nancy Sales Company, makers of plush carnival toys, operated in the building from the 1940s to the 1980s. Thereafter, the building remained vacant.
Longleaf Lumber went in to salvage the wood after a 17-year battle over development rights finally came to a close in 2012. The structure’s façade was saved, and its 111,720-square-foot interior turned into more than 100 apartments.
The wood, southern longleaf pine, was milled into flooring, paneling and other millwork products.
“It’s great to connect our local customers to hometown history, and Charlestown has it all,” said Longleaf owner Marc Poirer in a statement. “Immigration, the shipping industry, two world wars, busing, the revitalization of Boston—this wood has experienced more Boston than any of us ever will.”
Editor's Note: If your company reclaims wood with a story, we want to hear about it. Send the story and a few photos to [email protected].
