The American Chestnut tree was very important for construction and the economy in the eastern United States, espceically the Appalachian Mountains. Because of its resistance to decay, it was a popular lumber for posts, poles, piling, railroad ties, and split-rail fences. It was also used to construct log cabins, furniture, and caskets.

The American Chestnut tree had many other uses. Chestnuts became an important cash crop. Families in the Appalachian Mountains gathered chestnuts and sold them in nearby towns. The bark and wood were commonly used in the tanning of leather.

There are a large variety of chestnut species including: European Sweet Chestnut, Chinese Chestnut and Japanese Chestnut.

“Wormy” chestnut refers to a defective caused by insections that have burrowed into the tree. A fungus trailed by the insect creates the streaks and makes a very unique pattern in each board. Almost all of the streaks have tiny holes where the beetle burrowed into the wood. Neither the fungus nor beetle harms the wood.

All of our wormy chestnut lumber is reclaimed and recycled from historic old barns, houses, and other buildings. Our lumber has been de-nailed and air-dried in our warehouse. Wormy Chestnut is straight grained, strong as oak (although easier to saw), and rich in tannins, making it highly resistant to decay.