Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Parlee Lumber and Box Co.- Thank you.

I often hear many woodworkers complaining about lumber mills/yards becoming fewer and fewer. I always smirked and said I don't have to worry about that. Or so I thought. Sadly one of the oldest, if not oldest mill in New England is closing down. The company has been around for about 250 years and located in Littleton MA. Once called Parlee Lumber and Box Co. a family owned lumber yard and a staple for all craftspeople in New England. 

The lumber mainly sold at Parlee was Eastern White Pine but if you knew them well like I did,  than you would know that they also had Walnut, Cherry, Birch, and Maple in the way back hidden for the best customers. I was lucky and honored enough to be called a great customer. But I really think I got to become a great customer because of the respect I had for the yard. I always stacked the racks just as good or better than I found them, and I always paid respects to the workers.   

The pine available was either air dried or kiln dried. In C select or D Select. Clear one side. But they also offered pine mulch, tongue and groove, shipped lapped, stakes, live edge, table top cuts, and 40 inch wide 20 feet long. It was amazing what the mill had. 

But sadly it all comes to an end in a month or so. Which is depressing. What will replace it? Most likely crappy condos, townhouses, or possibly poorly built homes without any character or proper proportions.   

What also saddens me is the marking of a second lumber yard that has disappeared locally. Where does that leave me or should I say us? Well now I am like many others starting to complain that I need to travel at least an hour each way to get my lumber. Soon even that will disappear. What are we truly suppose to do as craftspeople if our sources of supply are disappearing?  But what is worst is the quality of lumber is shrinking and the prices are doubling.  















3 comments:

  1. I took next Friday off so I could finally go there to get some wide pine to make my grandson's tool chest. Looks like I'll be searching for a new place.

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  2. So where do we go now for weathered rough saw boards?

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  3. I worked there all thru the 90's. Contracted with Henry sr to salvage wood from the buck wood and make spool stock for him to sell to the wire reel company in CT I think they were from. Still have some good pieces of pine I save from my work there during those yrs. In fact using some now to make bee hives for a friend. I see all the equipment I used to drive. And the planer where I spent untold hours running tree length pine thru it. And countless times I ape t changing the knives in it. It was a 36 in double head planer with 6 knives in each head
    Physically had to climb inside the machine to change the knives in the lower head. Sad to see it is no longer there. Brings back memories of Cheryl and Charlotte. Craig who used to manage and his wife Hollie who worked there. And Bruce (Smiley) who was managing when I last worked there. Thank you Parlee Lumber, for being a part of my life..Peter

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