Leatherwood, Inc: Historic Restoration and Vintage Building Materials

About Leatherwood

Leatherwood Inc was founded in 1981 by Vic Hood to fill a void in the construction/restoration field in the mid-south region. As a graduate student at the University of Tennessee, he gained experience in documenting and recording historic structures. He later conducted building research for various state and federal agencies, including the National Park Service, the Atomic Energy Commission, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Hood developed a unique method of analyzing historic structures through technologies represented in the construction. A growing need for accurate restoration and replication of historic structures led Leatherwood to departed from traditional construction roles and take a more academic approach to the preservation of historic buildings. With a sense of dedication to the field of restoration, Mr. Hood combined an understanding of history and the context of architecture, combined with available technology, to accurately restore and replicate structures. It is this awareness that has allowed Leatherwood to be successful in providing sympathetic replications and restorations because this context requires not only an ability to simply build but to create a feeling and environment that is unmistakable.

Since its inception, Leatherwood has developed an extensive resume that includes many high profile projects including several Presidental homes, National Landmarks, National Monuments, National Treasures, and numerous house museums. Many of our projects have appeared in national magazines and newspapers, as well as other forms of media, including the Discovery Channel and HGTV. Leatherwood has won national, regional, and local awards for our restoration efforts.

Although the emphasis of Leatherwood's work is in the field of restoration, we also create "historic" buildings. To assist our operations Leatherwood has developed a fabrication shop that specializes in processing vintage wood for use in both restorations and recreations. Our custom sawmill was designed to cut extraordinary long beams that can be fabricated out of either old or new timbers. An ample supply of historic materials is kept on hand for use in timber framing or the production of flooring, paneling and other wood products.

The combination of training, experience, and physical capabilities enables Leatherwood to be competitive in the construction market while providing an exceptional product.