When you take a stroll through the beautiful New Hanover County Extension and Arboretum, you first see a stunning red bridge connecting a small island in our koi pond to the rest of the garden. Then, you may walk past the trickling waterfall and feel the temperature cool as you step under the red torii gates and become surrounded by Japanese Maples – an authentic Japanese Tea House comes into view. Once you have made your way around the garden, it may be time for the children to play “grown-up” in the Children’s Garden playhouse. While these structures feel like they have always been there, their presence highlights nearly 40 years of dedication from our carpenter volunteers. Thanks to them, the Extension and Arboretum has been home to a variety of beautiful wooden structures since opening in 1989.

When they first formed in 1988, the carpenters consisted of Ken Campbell and Fenton Gordon. They created necessary projects for the garden, including fencing, trellises, and walkways. As the need for structures grew, so did the volunteer base. By the early 2000s, Moe Kotler, O’Jay Niles, Jim Nester, and others had joined. This group worked on some of the most notable structures found in the Arboretum today — starting with the Japanese tea house.

Built from a book on Japanese Garden architecture, the tea house took two full years to build inside before being assembled in the garden. For the structure, the carpenters used 2 ½ x 2 ¾  wood to match the mats traditionally placed on the floor. While not traditional, volunteers also added fencing to protect younger children while they explored the serene space. Along with the tea house came the challenge of building two red torii gates to accent the entrance and exit of this demonstration garden. With a resourceful crew, the carpenters found and repurposed 18-foot telephone poles, worked on the wood to create notches for the arch, and hoisted the structure into place. Today, this is a space regularly enjoyed for quiet reading, meditation, or exploration.

Another great addition came with the creation of the playhouse in the Children’s Garden. Ken Campbell reflects, “We must have watched Snow White 12 times as inspiration.” Much like in the film, the goal was for young children, around 3 feet tall, to look full-grown when standing in the doorway, while still allowing parents to stand inside once they entered.

Today, the carpenters consist of five members: Ken, Jim Cutler, Bill Carapezza, Joe Kopeka, and “Doc” Steve Eitelman. These gentlemen create a variety of projects from refurbished materials not only for the Arboretum, but for our community. They use materials from old fencing and houses to make birdhouses and metal spiders in the Arboretum Gift Shop, bat boxes for Eagles Island, and tree seedling boxes for the Friends School.

It is easy to overlook the hardworking hands that built such meaningful projects for the community, but hopefully, this can serve as a reminder to be thankful for your fellow volunteers this season and wonder when you see a structure, “Who made that?”

Megan Sweeney is the Communications Specialist for N.C. Cooperative Extension - New Hanover County, located at 6206 Oleander Drive, Wilmington, NC. You can reach her at megan_sweeney@ncsu.edu or by calling 910-798-7600.