The value of Eastern White Pine remains long after its initial use as a building material, as countless centuries-old structures in New England can attest. A company called Old Globe reclaims antique wooden grain elevators and turns them into home accents like flooring, furniture, picture frames and mantels brimming with historic character. The company’s current project is the deconstruction of the 1887 Globe Elevator, which was once the biggest grain storage facility in the world. It contains approximately 6 million board feet of wood, mostly Eastern White Pine.
This pine is from what was once vast forests of old-growth trees in Wisconsin and Minnesota, which have since been depleted. Though Eastern White Pine forests are being replanted throughout the United States to keep this valuable material a part of the country’s architectural character, they haven’t yet been restored to their former glory.
Take a look at Old Globe’s gallery of historic, time-worn Eastern White Pine products to see how beautifully this material holds up after centuries of use.
“While we are proud to contribute to the conservation of our planet’s natural resources, we also love the richness and character of old-growth wood,” says the company. Its products can be found in luxury homes, hotels, restaurants and convention centers.
