USA - The Wood-Mizer Way 89 Spring/Summer 2012 | Page 26

the Putney
General Store

Rises Again

By Jacob Mooney
Photos courtesy of Mark & Katie Bowen and the Putney Historical Society

After arson destroyed their store, the town was determined to rebuild, using locally milled timbers.

For over 200 years, the town of Putney
and tourists alike have depended on the
Putney General Store as their source of
penny candy, coffee, supplies, and local
news. Built in 1796, it was believed to
be the oldest general store in the state of
Vermont. For the Putney community, it
was a special old-fashioned store, full of
character and memories.
When a fire destroyed much of
the store in 2008, the Putney Historical
Society took ownership of the store and
began raising funds to rebuild the store.
With overwhelming local support and
various historical grants, the store was on
track to reopen in early 2010. However, a
second fire, determined to be arson, leveled
the new store on November 1, 2009.
Hundreds of Putney residents gathered in
the streets and watched as firefighters tried
unsuccessfully to fight the flames.
In spite of the tragedy, the Putney
townspeople were determined to rebuild
the store. People volunteered money, skills,
and time to help. Among them, Mark
Bowen, a local builder and farmer, decided
that he too could help by sawing the needed
beams and lumber for the structure.
Although Mark had owned an LT40

2006

store. Katie Bowen relates, “People were
several years earlier, he had sold his
amazed at seeing logs going in and being
sawmill as his farm and building business
turned into usable lumber before their eyes.”
required more attention. When the word
Andy Rockefeller, a friend of Mark’s
went out that volunteers were needed to
and a local timber framer, took the timbers
help rebuild the store, Mark decided to see
that Mark had sawn, and in January 2011,
if he could still put his sawing experience
the timber frame was raised.
to good use for the community.
Mark’s wife Katie says, “Mark “Townspeople stopped And just under a year later,
felt it was important to help rebuild by to watch and often the store was finished, stocked,
the store after the second fire. He a crowd would gather and reopened on December
11, 2011, for the public to
thought it would be even better
as people watched
enjoy once more. Thanks to
if the store could be rebuilt like
the original with a timber frame their new store being a community who would not
from local trees.” Mark called built. This was a huge give up, and to volunteers like
Wood-Mizer’s New York Branch community effort.” Mark Bowen, the new Putney
General Store will last for
Manager, Dave Scott, to see if there
—Katie Bowen
generations to come.
was a sawmill Mark could borrow
Mark returned the LT40 Super to
from Wood-Mizer to do the sawing. Dave
Wood-Mizer, but after Mark’s boss
was happy for the chance to help with
saw the ease in which lumber could be
the project, and let Mark borrow a brand
produced with a sawmill, he purchased
new LT40 Super Hydraulic for whatever
a brand new LT40SH the very next day.
sawing would be required.
Mark has the ability to use it frequently
When word got out that Mark was
for his building projects. It’s a good
going to saw wood for the store, people
thing, too, because according to Katie,
were excited to help with the project
“Mark is just addicted to sawmills! It’s in
by donating their trees. Mark obtained
his blood! We always joke he has sawdust
enough logs from the community and from
his own property to saw the wood for all
in his veins. He’s a very talented sawyer.”
the timbers, flooring, and trim of the new
Connect online: www.putneygeneralstore.org

Online Customer
Gateway launched for
ordering of parts &
blades 24/7.
Industrial Single Head
Resaw released.

26

The Wood-Mizer Way Spring/Summer 2012

LT30 models
discontinued.