Lynchburg Business

Grayson Ferguson Woodworking: Just Like the Old Boys

Issue: June 2010 by Megan Norcross in Business Profiles

How many times have you walked into an antique or thrift store and spotted an armoire that is crafted with the utmost perfection? The intricacy of the detailed carvings coupled with the durability of its craftsmanship establish a sense of nostalgia—perhaps of a time long past when the work of one’s hand was revered, or even a time that is only present in your imagination of what those “good old days” must have been like. You leave the store a few bucks shorter, but as the proud owner of a vintage masterpiece; something that can no longer be replicated. Or can it?

Back in the ‘80s, Waterford Furniture Makers was founded in Lynchburg on Sackett Street by a man named Grayson Ferguson. Ferguson, a lifelong lover of woodworking, developed a keen eye and a sense of fine craftsmanship at the impressionable age of 14. As a freshman at E.C. Glass High School, Ferguson had taken home the state title on a woodworking project and his passion grew from there.

Founding Waterford, Ferguson and his team specialized in high-end, solid cherry and walnut furniture. They had three bedroom lines, a few dining room lines and a collection of tables, all of which were sold by retail stores.

“We built that furniture just

like the old boys used to, but with current technology,” explained Ferguson. “We built furniture the way it’s supposed to be built.”

Fast forward to present day. That same building on Sackett Street is now Grayson Ferguson Woodworking, with Ferguson acting as president of the company, but, according to him, he’s just another hand.

“Grayson Ferguson Woodworking is a little different from Waterford. We still build furniture the way we used to, but it’s mostly custom work,” said Ferguson, still with the excitement you’d imagine he had as a 14-year- old Industrial Arts student. “We don’t make suits like we did for Waterford. Every piece is different.”

It’s this type of custom work that has interior designers like Interiors by Moyanne seeking Ferguson’s skills and expertise.

“Anything that’s made out of wood, besides housing structure, we will make. Whether it’s flooring, moldings, furniture, cabinets, doors—you name it, we’ll make it,” Ferguson said.

With a staff of 15, Grayson Ferguson Woodworking is always booming with custom requests from individuals and businesses alike.

“The most memorable job I’ve ever worked on was for a customer that had us build every single piece of woodwork in the two structures on his property—everything except the cabinets,” recollected Ferguson. “He had high- end taste and even higher standards. It’s not that meeting those standards was challenging, it was just a lot of work!”

Supplying all of the interior doors, flooring, casings, general mill work, stairways, entertainment centers and even the bar in the party house, Ferguson fondly recalls the hard work and dedication that went into every piece of that house. Proclaiming that he has sawdust in his veins (and by the amount of woodwork he’s produced in his lifetime, that may be true), Ferguson says that each piece he’s ever created sticks out in his mind because it’s all unique and all high-quality.

For those looking for a Waterford bedroom or dining room suit, Ferguson says they can still find what they’re looking for at Grayson Ferguson Woodworking.

“We have the occasional request for a Waterford suit. We still have all of the plans because I was the one that drew them,” he mused.

It’s this type of passion and attention to detail that has kept Ferguson in business for over 20 years in Lynchburg. Operating in the same building, under the same principles, just a different name, Grayson Ferguson Woodworking is a breath of fresh air amongst the mass produced furniture found in many retail stores today.

Even if you aren’t looking for a new piece of furniture or cabinetry, just a short conversation with Ferguson and the rest of his team will leave you with a greater appreciation for quality craftsmanship and the amount of time that goes into each piece. Sometimes change is good but, in Grayson Ferguson’s case, keeping with the tradition of the “old boys” has paid off.