…I remember watching my father work in our basement shop. It was always a place I loved to be in, and I was constantly finding excuses to wander amidst the piles of sawdust and wood, wondering just what each of the tools were used for. Dad always seemed to know, but usually, although probably not by choice, limited his projects to those things necessary to keep a house full of six children in order. I of course, had my own ideas and dreamed, like all children do, of constructing great and monumental things. Our hope is that this studio will provide a way for others to learn to do just that.”
Rich Pierce has lived in Delaware for 37 years, growing up in North Wilmington and attending I.H.M. and Salesianum schools. After graduating from King’s College, he went on to teach English at St. Mark’s High School, spending summers working construction and life-guarding at the Jersey shore. Summers spent on the coast planted early seeds and work soon began on his first woodworking venture, Stolen Longboards, a local skateboard company where over 70 custom longboards have been produced one at a time for the past 10 years.
Currently, Rich is the Chair of the Art Department at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, where he teaches Woodworking and Design to students of all grade levels. As a local artisan, he has been involved in countless projects throughout Wilmington, and his craftsmanship can be found in homes across the state.
Jen Pierce will be managing the business aspects of the Silver Hammer Workshop. Prior to her busy schedule as a mom of four, she was a manager at a top consulting/actuarial firm.
Woodworking is the best of skills to learn. The material is attractive, inexpensive, and easily worked into hundreds of useful and ingenious projects. Even at its most elementary level, woodworking calls for enough skill to be thoroughly interesting and gives expression to a child’s natural desire to make and construct things.”
Instills Craftsmanship | Fosters Creative Thinking | Develops Confidence
