SALEM, Ore., March 11, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Volunteers from around the world join with the Salem, OR, Rotary Club on riverfront project. Timber frame craftsmen and women from across the U.S., Canada and England will come to Salem, OR, in late April to raise a riverfront pavilion reminiscent of the great cathedrals of Europe.
The Salem Rotary Club is coordinating the event with the Timber Framers Guild, an international educational organization of 2000 members dedicated to preserving and promoting the craft of traditional post-and-beam building. For two weeks, from April 18-30, over 30 volunteers from the Guild will be working in Riverfront Park to handcraft the 42-foot square structure, which will feature a complex wood-beamed roof frame connected primarily by mortise-and-tenon joints and wooden pegs. After cutting the joinery the event will culminate with the "raising" of the lofty roof system onto the four large masonry columns already in place.
The volunteers have good reasons to contribute their labor to this educational event. The unique structure offers challenges not often found in the residential timber frames they usually build. The "Labor for Learning" concept supplements the hands-on training with evening classroom presentations and lectures. Finally, they enjoy showing their skill and appreciation of the craft to the public.
The public is invited to observe the timber framers at work and attend the raising. The Rotary Club is hosting volunteers by providing lodging and meals, and donations to help offset the costs of the pavilion are appreciated. Donors can also purchase individual walkway bricks with their personal message inscribed.
For information on the project, contact Rotary Club Project Coordinator Mark Wulf, P. O. Box 3981, Salem, OR, 97302. For information on the Timber Framers Guild, visit their website at www.tfguild.org (where there are more details and drawings of the project), or call 888-453-0879. Membership in the Guild is open to all.