TFG Events & Workshops

Community Building Project: The Wayside Inn (Massachusetts)

Background

Our host for this Community Building Project is The Wayside Inn Foundation, a Massachusetts not-for-profit charitable corporation established in 1944 by Henry Ford to own and operate this historic property. Dating back as far as 1702, The Wayside Inn is situated near Sudbury on 100 acres, with nine heritage buildings, ponds, and forest. 

The Wayside Inn is a busy hospitality venue, and they have for some years used a rental tent for larger functions such as weddings. They also have a heritage barn that they are considering for a restoration project to address their need for a large function space. The cruck tent that is the subject of this community build is a phase one project toward the goal of a new event space.

About the Project

The structure is a 3-bay cruck frame designed to be a free-standing temporary structure with a fabric cover. It will be used during the summer months to host functions at The Wayside Inn. The timbers are white pine with natural-grown curves. It's a very traditional frame and will lend itself well to the practice of scribe layout, which can easily accommodate natural and curved materials. 

The design of the frame provides opportunities for learning in areas such as curved member selection and conversion, scribe rule layout, cruck frame joinery, and hand-raising methods. Given the traditional English style of the frame, it will also feature traditional English joinery design and cutting methodology, including handmade pegs.

This project is well-suited to experienced timber framers wishing to learn about scribing and cruck frame construction, and we will be offering certificates of participation, with learning objectives and completion identified, for your records. There will be evening educational presentations on a range of timber framing topics. 

For this project, we have the use of the excellent facilities at The Wayside Inn. The fabrication area will be in the field behind the old barn where the frame will eventually stand. 

Accommodation will be camping on the Inn grounds with washroom and shower facilities available at the Inn. Meals will be provided by the Inn, and you can expect three square meals per day plus snacks and endless coffee. 

Call for participants 

The event runs for 8 days from Friday, July 18, to Friday, July 25, inclusive. 

Instructors 
The Guild seeks one project manager/lead instructor and two (2) instructors to lead the project. All positions are compensated reasonably. Applications for project manager and instructor positions will be accepted via email; please submit all inquiries and applications to TFG's Community Building Projects Program Director Steve Lawrence and Communications Director Allison Aurand. Click to find requirements and job descriptions for the project manager and instructor positions. 

The deadline for instructor applications is Friday, June 20, 2025. 

Please note that instructors must have commercial general liability insurance. Please confirm insurance with your application. 

Volunteers 
We also have positions for 16 volunteers for this event. These positions are not compensated but you can expect the traditional TFG XC (exuberant camaraderie) and a very rich and rewarding educational experience. 

Participants will perform hands-on timber frame layout cutting and raising under the direction of the instructor team. This project will be suitable for those with some experience in timber framing and who wish to learn about scribe rule framing. There will be limited novice positions available, though we need to ensure a balance of skills on the team. 

You must be a Guild member to participate! (Join the Guild HERE.) If that presents a challenge for you, please talk to us. We can work something out and want to be inclusive. 

Please note that volunteer applications do not guarantee acceptance. We may have more applications than positions, so please do not make travel arrangements until you've received notification of acceptance. Please contact us if you have not heard and need to know for planning. 

The deadline for volunteer applications is Friday, June 27, 2025. 

We will endeavor to confirm your acceptance ASAP and hopefully well before the deadline for applications. If you have questions, please contact Community Building Projects Program Director Steve Lawrence and Communications Director Allison Aurand. 

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