![]() She may go to France this summer to work on the continued restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, the famous medieval cathedral heavily damaged in a 2019 fire. Spence, who came to the Valley in the late 1990s, has worked on a wide variety of projects during her career, in part as a member of the international group Carpenters Without Borders: reconstructing a medieval-era synagogue in Poland helping restore a house built by enslaved people in Louisiana in the early 1800s that’s now part of the National Trust and constructing a community pavilion in Michigan. ![]() ![]() “I feel lucky and happy in my work because I have the opportunity to work on projects that are really built around community and cooperation,” she said. The common ingredient, she says, is collaboration - working with other builders, apprentices, students and volunteers to restore and build different structures that can benefit many people. She’s been involved in similar projects throughout the region, across the country, and even overseas. Then she called that people power back last month to move the barn onto its new base, with the barn, mounted on large rollers, pulled by ropes along steel beams laid across the ground.Īnd just last weekend, she helped lead volunteers in raising timber frames she’d constructed for an addition to the barn, which is being turned into a cultural center for Historic Northampton, with storage for vintage artifacts and space for live music and other events.įor Spence, it was, in a sense, just another day at the office. Last November, Spence enlisted dozens and dozens of community members to help pull the Shepherd Barn, believed to have been built in 1804-1805, off its original rough foundation so that a new one could be poured. Spence, who lives in Florence, is an experienced timber framer who’s been leading the effort in the past few years, and especially over the last several months, to restore a barn at Historic Northampton that dates to the time of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency. If that’s the case, she’s more than made up for it. Photo by Geral David/courtesy Alicia SpenceĪlicia Spence says she grew up in a family “that wasn’t especially handy.” Photo by Alicia SpenceĪlicia Spence also worked on the reconstruction of the medieval Gwozdziec synagogue in Poland, a project that involved over 60 people. (Photo by Michael Cuba, courtesy Alicia Spence)Īlicia Spence supervised a project to rebuild the roof of this early 19th century building in Louisiana that had originally been constructed by enslaved people it's now part of the National Trust. ![]() to reconstruct this medieval-style truss for the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris. TOP: Alicia Spence served as a project manager in Washington, D.C. Alicia Spence coached them by stating, “We want the full force of our community and gentle hands.” STAFF PHOTO DAN LITTLE Volunteers at Historic Northampton pull the Shepherd Barn off its former foundation last November. Timber framer Alicia Spence says the best part of her job is that “I have the opporunity to work on projects that are really built around community and cooperation.” STAFF PHOTO/DAN LITTLE Here the Florence timber framer uses a hollow chisel mortiser while working on the Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton. Though she’s partial to hand tools, “I like power equipment as much as the next girl,” says Alicia Spence. Timber framer Alicia Spence of Florence works on a half-lap scarf joint, used to join two timbers end-to-end, at the 19th century Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton. Here the Florence timber framer uses a hollow chisel mortiser while working on the Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton. Lining everything up: Timber framer Alicia Spence, who’s overseen the restoration of the 19th century Shepherd Barn at Historic Northampton, has worked on similar community projects across the U.S. Timber framer Alicia Spence works on a half-lap scarf joint, used to join two timbers end-to-end, at the 217-year-old Shepherd Barn on the grounds of Historic Northampton. ABOVE: Timber framer Alicia Spence works on a half-lap scarf joint, used to join two timbers end-to-end, at the 217-year-old Shepherd Barn on the grounds of Historic Northampton.
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