“We had the land, and we had the dream, but we didn’t have the resources right away. Through all the years of saving, Nathan and Merry Puffer nurtured us and our vision to have a home in Vermont. When the time was right, we naturally turned to Groton Timberworks to help us design and build a timberframe for our home. What was most exciting for us was the prospect of a Japanese post and beam home, which we were aware was Nathan’s pride and joy to build.
We communicated long distance with the Puffers; we peppered them with emails, inspiration photos, and floor plans; and all the while, they remained calm and thoughtful guides. Nathan understood our vision, met us at our level of understanding regarding the art of building, and created for us the most beautiful frame. Local wood was used for the posts and turned in Groton Timberworks’ shop; graceful arches of “live wood” curved under the ridgepole. Nathan’s intuitive skills did not end with creation of the frame, but extended into the surrounding landscape. With the help of his brother, Matt, Nathan arranged boulders left from the excavation process into an Asian-inspired rock garden.
The process of realizing our dream with Groton Timberworks’ help was a pleasure; we had fun, we learned a lot, and now we get to live under the sheltering beams of this one-of-a-kind timberframe.”
Alan Massey and Kirsten Murch
Groton, VT