This bench courtesy of Yoder Lumber, Millersburg, Ohio

These white oak “live edge” benches are made from the same type of wood used in the Thompson Library renovation. The benches were built by craftsmen in Ohio’s Amish furniture cluster in Holmes County, Ohio. Composed of hundreds of small businesses with thousands of workers, Ohio’s Amish furniture cluster is the center of quality hardwood furniture production in the United States. “Live edge” furniture, when the tree edge is maintained on the lumber instead of being removed, has recently become a very popular type of hardwood furniture prized by many and used in both casual and formal arrangements.

Matthew S. Bumgardner, Gary W. Graham, P. Charles Goebel and Robert L. Romig
“How Clustering Dynamics Influence Lumber Utilization Patterns in the Amish-based Furniture Industry in Ohio” (2011)
Journal of Forestry
The Ohio State University Libraries Collection

Researchers at The Ohio State University regularly publish their work about Ohio’s forest economy in professional journals such as this one. Their articles help others understand the forest product economy’s overall value and may help in the establishment of new, innovative forest-based businesses.This article highlights the use of forest products in the “Amish furniture cluster” of Northeast Ohio.