We’re celebrating America 250 — the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia — by reflecting on America’s architectural legacy and the evolution of fine craftsmanship.
As Timberlane marks its own 30th anniversary, it’s the perfect occasion to examine historically authentic, premium exterior shutters from Colonial America to today’s modern luxury homes. This is the story of American craftsmanship—from hand-hewn mortise-and-tenon woodworking to precision planing machines and joinery—a combination of the craftsman’s human touch and the accuracy and consistency of modern technology.
Colonial Philadelphia, with its high-style Georgian and Federal houses of the 1700s and early 1800s, was an early incubator of quality craftsmanship. The Philadelphia-based Timberlane takes a contemporary approach to shutter-making, inspired by this enduring legacy of American craft.
By the 18th century, the study of architecture was considered an essential body of knowledge among wealthy landowners who sought to convey status through grand period homes. Thomas Jefferson, for example, was one of a growing number of “gentleman architects” who studied Andrea Palladio’s Four Books of Architecture. The millwork of the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s—including exterior shutters—was grounded in the classical tradition: Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, and Arts and Crafts.
Beginning in the 1700s, there was strong demand for skilled craftsmanship and increasingly stylized millwork with classical detail and ornament, hand-carved by master builders, furniture makers, and carpenters. The first American builder’s pattern book—a vital resource for millwork design—was titled The Country Builder’s Assistant, written by the renowned Benjamin Asher.
Exterior shutters were integral to classical architecture in the American colonies. They tell a story of evolving taste and technology over 250 years—from early European influence under British rule, to the architecture of a new democracy, to the exuberance of the Victorian age, and later to the post-industrial ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement.
Before the widespread use of glass—or when it was expensive or unavailable—exterior shutters served as the primary window covering. Heavy plank shutters were mounted inside window openings to protect interiors from wind and rain while providing privacy and security. The history of exterior shutters traces America’s building and design history—a lesson in how form follows function.
The story of Timberlane’s premium shutters is an American story as well—one that honors historic, time-tested design and craftsmanship while embracing new technologies and materials. It is a story of American ingenuity and entrepreneurship. And it is the story of a family-owned company that grew up near Independence Hall, where America was born 250 years ago.