The Tree Trunk Sawmill & Woodshop

The Tree Trunk Sawmill & Woodshop Sawmilling
Kiln Drying
Live-edge Slabs
Lumber Sales
Custom Handcrafted Furniture
Home goods, Signs Dimensional lumber and mantels also available.

Choose from over 35 wood species and more than 400 live-edge slabs! Need your logs custom milled? We can do that too. Commission us for all your woodworking needs. Please call/message for more details and to arrange an appointment. The Tree Trunk Sawmill & Woodshop provides
Custom milling (Woodmizer LX150),
Kiln Drying Services (Nyle L53),
Lumber Sales,
Custom handcrafted furniture, homeware, woodburned signs & more!

08/29/2026

The sound of the Mimosa fiddle. Played by its maker, Richard Bowman.

We have sold many pieces of timber here, in many forms and for numerous projects. It brings us such joy to know that thi...
08/29/2026

We have sold many pieces of timber here, in many forms and for numerous projects. It brings us such joy to know that this wood, which we formed from logs, has an effect on so many lives. One of those crafted items made from said lumber is in the form of a musical instrument, crafted from nimble fingers and a knowledgeable, patient mind.

Music, more than any other art, has an emotional and social impact—stirring soothing, uplifting, comforting, and moving feelings within us, causing us to engage and connect with others from all backgrounds. It unites us as a whole, inspiring, healing, and enriching our lives.

Henceforth, it is with great pleasure that we witness the creation of musical instruments, such as this magnificent mimosa fiddle by Richard Bowman.

Richard grew up on a to***co farm in Patrick County, Virginia. One late summer afternoon in 1973, he and his cousin dropped off a load of to***co at a warehouse in Mount Airy, NC, and started back home. They tuned into WPAQ when a music program called “The Merry Go Round” was broadcasting. Tommy Jarrell was performing, making music with his fiddle. Richard heard this and said, “I believe I could play a fiddle like that if I had one.”

His cousin replied, “Well, we’ll just see. I got one at the house.”

After cleaning off the 1/4” of dust that was on the case, Bowman pulled out the fiddle, which was missing the “G” string, and began practicing.

The very next Saturday, Richard went back to his cousin’s, where he found him sitting on the front porch. His cousin asked, “How you doing with your fiddle playing?”

Richard replied, “Well, get your guitar and we’ll see.”

And that’s how his lifelong love for playing old-time music began.

About eleven years later, after a lot of tutoring from many musicians, The Slate Mountain Ramblers were formed. This was in 1984. Later, in 1991, Richard’s wife, Barbara, and his daughter, Marsha, then 9 years old, joined the band, with Barbara playing the stand-up bass and Marsha playing the mandolin.

Over the years, they have traveled throughout the United States as well as Europe, sharing the sound of Appalachian old-timey music with thousands.

In 2011, at the age of 58, Richard made his first fiddle and has been making them ever since. He likes to make them out of unique cuts from a variety of species. To date, Bowman has made 47 fiddles, 1 stand-up bass, 1 mandolin, and 5 banjos.

The woods he has crafted with include apple, knotty maple, poplar, burly cherry, western red cedar, butternut, cucumber, cherry, maple, sassafras, black walnut, ambrosia maple, white pine, Port Orford white cedar, and, for his 47th fiddle, mimosa.

Of these species, Richard states that black walnut has a deeper, more mellow tone. Butternut, mimosa, etc., have a higher pitch and a sort of more wiry sound.

Tone also depends on how thin the fiddle wood is. “However, you won’t know how it sounds until you get the strings on it.”

In 2023, Richard was a winner of the NC Heritage Award, an award that is the state’s highest honor given to traditional and folk artists for their lifetime contributions to cultural vitality.

Richard, his wife, Barbara, and daughter, Marsha, are accomplished musicians, having won many awards. To learn more about Richard and The Slate Mountain Ramblers, and to hear their wonderful music, visit YouTube and the World Wide Web.

Customer Creations: Wonderful work from wonderful patrons. Thank you all for shopping at The Tree Trunk Sawmill & Woodsh...
08/17/2026

Customer Creations:
Wonderful work from wonderful patrons. Thank you all for shopping at The Tree Trunk Sawmill & Woodshop where we sell kiln dried dimensional lumber, live-edge slabs and more. We enjoy building personal connections with each of you and are pleased to see the unique creations which play a role in the life of the tree with the knowledge that such creations will have a personal meaning to the lives of others.

From our Showrooms: Maple Burl, Rainbow Poplar and Holly. Three exclusive groups of wood, each with a dynamic, unique lo...
07/18/2026

From our Showrooms:
Maple Burl, Rainbow Poplar and Holly.
Three exclusive groups of wood, each with a dynamic, unique look. The Maple Burl and Holly have been planed, the Poplar slabs have been flattened. Special finds from your local sawyer. We look forward to seeing you at The Tree Trunk Sawmill and Woodshop!

“Nail Tree” The tradition of hammering nails into a tree as a spiritual offering for good luck, healing, or ward off ill...
07/05/2026

“Nail Tree”
The tradition of hammering nails into a tree as a spiritual offering for good luck, healing, or ward off illness originated in Central Europe. Perhaps this Maple, which so happened to grow to such a healthy size despite enduring the hammering of a great number of 16 penny nails was such a tree.
My hopes are that the pounding of so many nails into what became a giant of a tree, did in fact, bring luck and health to those wielding the hammer.
As for the sawyer, luck isn’t the word that comes to mind in the act of milling such a log.
However as you can see, through an act of fortitude, many a nice slab was produced.
One day this wood will likely exist in a number of homes in a number of forms, perchance in keeping the tradition of the “Nail Tree.”

From the Woodshop: Recent projects completed at The Tree Trunk, a small woodshop constructing custom pieces for a commun...
06/20/2026

From the Woodshop:
Recent projects completed at The Tree Trunk, a small woodshop constructing custom pieces for a community of individuals who love and appreciate the aesthetic quality that only wooden furniture and craftwork can provide.
If you’re interested in any of our products please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

Customer Creations:Thanks to all those that share their wonderful work with us. We enjoy meeting each of you and hearing...
06/18/2026

Customer Creations:
Thanks to all those that share their wonderful work with us. We enjoy meeting each of you and hearing about the projects you have in mind.
Seeing this fantastic work always puts a smile on our face. We look forward to your future visits at The Tree Trunk Sawmill and Woodshop, your local custom sawyer, kiln dried lumber supplier and custom woodworker.

Today we took a short adventure northward to the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is here we meander along the winding roads...
06/07/2026

Today we took a short adventure northward to the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is here we meander along the winding roads that are less traveled. First to Fairystone State Park then to Philpott Lake just a few short miles to the east. The beauty of these places is as good as any and I suggest a day trip if you live in the area.
Heading south and west we stopped by the Rock Spring Plantation in Critz, VA. This is the historic home of R.J. Reynolds, the to***co magnate and his brother A.D. who founded Reynolds Metal.
Next to the home stands the ultimate “Tree Trunk”.
This still-living Catalpa tree is estimated to be between 160 and 183 years old. The “Great Old Catalpa” is believed to be witness to the establishment of this plantation as well as the Civil War and that day in early April of 1865 when General George Stoneman and his cavalry raided the homestead. The Reynolds family hid on “No Business Mountain” while the Union Army liberated the enslaved people living in the surrounding area.
All this under the shadow of this marvelous tree and trunk, “The Great Old Catalpa.”

What’s in store? It’s what you need for your next woodworking project. Short boards, long boards, thin boards, wide boar...
05/31/2026

What’s in store?
It’s what you need for your next woodworking project. Short boards, long boards, thin boards, wide boards, white wood, brown wood and everything in between. Our dimensional lumber showroom is well stocked, with even more in our live edge show room. Our boards are kiln dried, sanitized, planed and edged. Take them back your shop and begin creating today.
Wood is Good!

From The Tree Trunk:Turning logs to lumber. Today it was Walnut. After kiln drying, we go through a process I call “cutt...
05/25/2026

From The Tree Trunk:
Turning logs to lumber.
Today it was Walnut. After kiln drying, we go through a process I call “cutting off the ugly.” The boards are run through a two blade board edger then face joined, planed, the ends get cut clean, the boards are labeled and moved to the showroom.

No need to mention we have many beautiful Walnut boards available for purchase. Look forward to seeing you soon!

Address

Westfield, NC
27053

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+17433330810

Website

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