



Our Story
After many years of pairing with and learning from local experts in the art of timber framing individually, Michael Bunker and Bob LeRoy brought their skills and appreciation for the tradition of timber wrights together to form Heritage Timber Wrights in May of 2016.
The past four years have seen us busy with dozens of projects in Midcoast Maine and beyond. We have cut small 10’x14’ frames to be shipped out of state and completed on-site, as well as designed, raised and finished new barns with a 50’x50’ footprint and tie beams as thick as 14”. Our most recent project has been to design and build a client’s custom dream house and attached barn. This frame integrated some of the finer elements of timber framing, with curved braces, visible timbers and high ceilings, and was finished with aesthetic and efficient touches such as oiled pine trim and thick cellulose insulation.
Other projects have been one-off restorations, including a historic logging cabin near Lobster Lake, which we repaired over the course of several weeks, staying on site due to the difficulty in access. We have integrated new timber frame construction into antique buildings in a way that seamlessly blends the old and new, being mindful of the beauty of the original structure.
With an appreciation for quality materials and an attention to detail, we also take on smaller interior projects, including built-in bookshelves and kitchen islands. Today we are a crew of 6 people, which allows us to work on multiple projects at once as well as specialize in certain areas of expertise.




Our Values
We work to prioritize sustainable practices and foster a strong relationship with our clients and community. From working with local suppliers and often wielding tools alongside our clients, we understand how important the process and end result of a building are, especially one that will last centuries. Most of our work to date has been through positive word of mouth from within the local community, with many return customers. As a rapidly growing company, only recently have we decided to spread our reach by expanding our presence online. We seek to bring the same values and emphasis on sustainability, quality, and community to all the projects our company and craftspeople undertake.
The materials are important to us. At Heritage Timber Wrights we source our timbers and other building products from local sawmills and lumber yards. The trees are harvested from large respective acreage where low-impact forestry practices are utilized, allowing for less impact on the forests. Our timber frame style of construction uses less lumber than modern stick frame and SIP (structural insulated panel) building, and is more durable.
Beyond the wood, we employ methods that use less processed and synthetic materials. Rather than foam insulation, which does not biodegrade, we use blown in cellulose. It is cost effective and provides plenty of insulation value. Made from recycled newspaper, the environmental footprint of cellulose is comparatively low. From a safety standpoint, the materials are coated in boric acid, which is an environmentally benign flame retardant. In addition, it is the ability of cellulose insulation to block airflow through structures that places it a cut above standard methods of insulation.
Prior to founding Heritage Timber Wrights, Michael spent many years working in the field of energy efficiency where he developed the skills to take on cellulose insulation jobs both large and small.
We at Heritage Timber Wrights enjoy creating strong and durable structures that go beyond function and enter a realm of artistic appeal. We want our clients to experience the visual satisfaction of simply being inside their structure while its integral parts coordinate the forces of tension and compression through a geometric flow of wood with its natural characteristics. It is a clean and elegant achievement to use old methods of crafting & joining wood together with more wood in the form of wedges and pegs. One could almost imagine a timber frame growing into the structure that stands around them, as if it rose upward to connect with the constant forces of nature.
Meet the Team
-
Michael Bunker
Founder & Lead Designer
-
Charlotte Woodman
Designer
-
Bob LeRoy
-