Many of the offices in the Packard factory buildings on Detroit’s East Grand Boulevard in Detroit contained paneling made of first-growth Oak that cannot readily be found on the market today. The Packard Motor Car Foundation and Authentic Packard have reclaimed all remaining wood paneling and this affords a nice opportunity for this wood to be recycled and used in historic preservation or for present-day uses.
Authentic Packard is a Detroit-based company that has carefully removed the wood from the Factory. It is now preparing for sale and marketing it for the Foundation, with a substantial portion of the proceeds to benefit the Packard Proving Grounds Historic Site.
The Recovered Wood
This is an opportunity to own a piece of history, a conversation piece that is in limited supply. The wood, its potential hidden for over fifty years has been saved and is available for historic restoration or for new uses. This is all there will ever be.
Wood Types and Dimensions
Old Growth Oak:
This is the major type of wood recovered from the site and is indicated by tight growth rings, and a straight grain pattern. This wood was likely two to three hundred years old when it was installed a hundred years ago, and is of the highest quality. We have 1x up to 8”, 5/4 and 2x up to 6”. Although we have a variety of pieces up to 16′ in length, the most plentiful pieces are 1″ x 8″ and 3′ long. The wood can also be custom trimmed and laminated with multiple pieces to create the dimensions you need. It is well suited for wall paneling, wainscot, trim molding, custom furniture, picture frames, and plaques. Doors and crown molding from the site are also available.
Clear Hemlock Fir:
Most of the 4th floor of the office building of the East Grand Boulevard factory complex, added in 1912, was paneled in this wood. We have 1×6.
