The Why Behind the What

The Triangle (Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill) and Piedmont regions of North Carolina have long been the home of college basketball’s “Tobacco Road” rivalries – Duke, UNC, NC State and Wake Forest – with the name stemming from the area’s deep roots in tobacco production. Fast-forward to today, and the remaining remnants of our region’s rich agricultural heritage are steadily fading in light of impending growth and development.

Birthed from a desire to pay tribute to our family’s farming heritage, TOBACCO ROAD REDEEMED specializes in giving forgotten materials a renewed purpose, crafting one-of-a-kind household items using century-old wood salvaged from local farm buildings destined for demolition. Nearly all of these buildings date back to the early-to-mid 1900s, a time when most lumber was milled from trees logged on the family farm. Citing the number of growth rings present in the lumber, many of these trees can thus be dated back to the mid-to-late 1800s, sometimes earlier.

Now vine-encased and often filled with remnants of hay and the occasional snake skin, these structures once facilitated a way of life for generations of families. While the buildings themselves may no longer serve a useful purpose, many of the boards and beams that compose these structures still exhibit redeeming qualities of exceptional durability and age-enhanced character – worthy of a second chance.

Incorporating nail-scarred joists, well-trodden floor boards and tobacco-infused tier poles, our risers and serving trays are crafted by hand, personalized by laser, and most often given as wedding or housewarming gifts. Engraving on the reverse side provides recipients the unique ability to trace the origins of their wares to the precise location of the original structure using longitude and latitude coordinates.

Since dismantling the first barn in 2006, we have followed the belief that, as with many things in life, there is simply no substitute for time itself, thus inspiring our tagline, “Wooden goods, a century in the making”. Though their days of utility on the farm are long over, we hope our new creations find a place in homes for years to come, as you make your mark on the next chapter in their varied histories.

With much appreciation to those landowners who have allowed me to salvage and to a patient spouse who has put up with my countless early mornings and hours away from home in this pursuit . . . Thank You!

Redeemed by Christ,

John Parker