Tag Archive for: Gentle Giant

If You Guessed Bok Tower Gardens, You Were Correct! 27

Remember when we asked you to guess what our latest “gentle giant” was being transformed into? Hint: “her new home will be at a National Historic Landmark”.

If you guessed Bok Tower Gardens, you were correct!

Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Florida announced its expansion plans last year. Today, construction is in full force! Goodwin is proud to be providing headers, window sills, trim and siding for the new children’s interpretive center and outdoor demonstration kitchen. Our River-Recovered® Heart Cypress is the perfect complement to the rich culture and history of Bok Tower Gardens.

Goodwin is in the process of milling cypress for the project. Enjoy this video which offers a special inside look at the process:

And, check out these photos of the first run of siding as the transformation continues:

 

Read more about the expansion: http://boktowergardens.org/blog/gardens-announces-expansion-plans-on-85th-anniversary/

Gentle Giant Update: The Transformation Begins… 2

Remember the “Gentle Giant” that was pulled from the Withlacoochee River last winter? Well, we’ve milled her and are using her for a big project. Here is how she looks now:

Any guesses as to what she is transforming into? Hint: Her new home will be at a National Historic Landmark.

Give us your best guess! We will reveal new photos when the project is complete.

Our “Gentle Giant” Continues to Evolve! 16

We were excited to have an opportunity to work with Florida Crotchwood Mobile Sawmill. Paula and Randy came out to Goodwin and helped George saw 3″ thick, four-foot wide and 10-foot long River-Recovered Heart Cypress slabs off the end of our “Gentle Giant”. Read more

Our Newest “Gentle Giant” 9

giantcypresslog 001 (Medium)After nearly 40 years in the business, one would think we have seen it all. The truth is, each and every day is an exciting adventure that presents new opportunities. The logs we work with to create our River-Recovered® heart pine and heart cypress flooring, paneling and other wood products are simply majestic. Each has its own distinct character and personality. Logger Don McCallister recently pulled this Cypress beauty out of the northern Withlacoochee River.

giantcypresslog 005 (Medium)This “Gentle Giant “ is 30 feet long; 29″ in diameter at its top and an amazing six feet in diameter at its base.

giantcypresslog 006 (Medium)Just take a look at this incredible ax cut end.

The log was discovered while Goodwin’s Marketing Coordinator, Jeffrey Forbes, was on the Withlacoochee hosting a documentary video crew. It was the first log they saw. It was still submerged in the river and its head was resting on a sandy beach. The log served as the perfect “subject” for the documentary, which we will share when it is complete.

Here is a bit of background on river logging along Withlacoochee (for you history buffs):

This giant cypress log was recovered on the part of the Withlacoochee that flows south out of Georgia and meets up with the Suwannee River at Suwannee River State Park. There once was a sawmill owned by Governor George Drew (Florida’s first governor post reconstruction) at what is now Suwannee River State Park. This log likely once belonged to this mill before it was “lost”.

Goodwin will now saw this antique beauty into a series of benches for the expansion of the Bok Tower campus in Lake Wales. Stay tuned, as we will continue to update you on the progress of this Gentle Giant…

A Conversation Piece…

Touching history is something we do everyday at Goodwin Company. From the axe hewn ends of a thousand year old bald cypress tree to the double cat face on a five hundred year old longleaf pine, it is never lost on us that our hands weren’t the first to handle these precious treasures; the once […]