Renovation: David Logan

Architecture for Historic Structures

Business Name: Vintage, Inc.
Phone: 540.545.8880
Address: 424 Fairmont Avenue, Winchester, VA, 22601

Imagine, just imagine, that you stumble across a construction site where the tradesmen are taking a break and are talking and joking about Dostoevsky, Proust, Aristotle or Charles Darwin.

Sound farfetched? Not if the men are working for Vintage, Inc., where the owner and all the craftsmen have degrees from some of the nation’s top universities but were led to carpentry because of their love of the restoration of historic houses.

If you own a historic house and want the most dedicated team possible to restore it, Vintage just might just be the company you’re looking for.

"Our carpenters are professionals who do this work for the love of the trade, old buildings, and challenging and unique projects," says owner David Logan. “Our business performs about fifty percent restoration work, usually with an architect or Virginia Department or Historic Resources individual. The remainder of our projects encompasses the renovation of old houses or the building of additions to a specific period."

Other than their education, how do your employees differ from regular carpenters?

"We are all members of the Preservation Trade Network. This gives us resources on which to call while researching specific renovation challenges. Also, our team attends a Preservation Trades training each fall." Moreover, Logan notes, his company is a member of the Association for Preservation Technology, a group that offers enormous resources to professional restorers of historic structures.

How do you and your staff approach specific jobs?"

"Once we start your job, you can count on a consistent and steady progress toward completion. Restoration, renovation, and period carpentry are all creative brainstorming tasks. We also welcome input and work with others in our field, such as architects and historians."

How does restoring a historic house differ from restoring one that has been damaged by fire or a natural disaster?

Because there was no standardization before the Industrial Revolution, each historic building is truly unique, and from them we learn tricks and methods that we can apply to our other projects. Many of today’s standards are not the best or most beautiful solution; they were often created to facilitate manufacturing."

Other than restoring the physical structure, does your company ever replicate interior things such as cabinets, decorative trim and the like?

"Yes, the second part of our business is called Period Woodworking Co. My cabinetmakers work exclusively in this part of the business, supporting the Vintage side by making millwork, cabinets, and replica windows, as well as doing separate projects not affiliated with Vintage. We build inset door cabinetry, and our reproduction window business is growing. We are also making replica mouldings from customers' samples."

Do you have a business philosophy?

"We take what we do very seriously and particularly enjoy and excel at complicated and highly detailed projects."