LUMBER IN TRANSIT

    In restoring this 1907 house we have had to seek and find a variety of uncommon sources for materials, products and services.  One such uncommon material has been real  2 x 10 lumber. Lumber sold today as a 2 x 10 in fact measures 1-1/2" x 9-1/4".  ( When the board is first rough sawn from the log, it is a true 2x10, but the drying process and planing of the board reduce it to the finished 1-1/2" x 9-1/4" size).    Our house required replacing several joists and the only source we have found in the area for rough cut 2 x 10's  has been a place called TRANSIT LUMBER.

Rot in an exterior 2 x 10

The repair using rough cut 2 x 10 from Transit Lumber

  While I have made at least 3 delivery orders for rough cut lumber from Transit these past 8 months, this last order was one small enough that I could pick it up myself.  I'm so glad I did because it gave me the opportunity to meet Bill and his son Tim, the owners of Transit Lumber.  Tim told me the story of how Transit Lumber began....

    In the early 1900's a group of business men got together to form a lumber company here in Richmond, Virginia.  They located a variety of lumber around the country and had it transported into Richmond to be sold to local builders.  At the time it was referred to as "lumber in transit"  (thus the current name, TRANSIT LUMBER).

A 4 foot blade from an old saw mill is the sign in front of the office.

Tim showed me an old photograph of the original location of the company.  Those of you who are familiar with Richmond, Virginia will know where the Diamond is on the Boulevard and the brick building now housing the Bow Tie Cinema  (upper right 1/4 of the photo) was the lumber company's home. 

    Today Transit Lumber is located off of Nine Mile Rd., but in 1907 it was no more than 2 miles away from  Hawthorne Ave.   

     Ironically, the lumber I have purchased and used to repair my Hawthorne house in 2011 has come,  perhaps, from the same company used to build the original home in 1907.  Kinda cool!