The “Sugar Shack” I Built

When I am not cooking, I like to do woodworking. When we lived in Massachusetts, I wanted a shed for our garden tools our lawn mower, etc. But I wanted it to look nice, not just a box with doors. This shed was modeled after a “sugar shack.” Sugar shacks are where they boil down the maple tree sap to make maple syrup. You see them often up in New Hampshire and Vermont. The little thing on top is to let the steam escape.

Everything is hand-built, doors, windows, etc. I bought nothing pre-made except the hardware like hinges and door handles. It was a fun project and I am pretty proud of it. I actually built the structure on my front lawn. Once completed I realized it didn’t look good on that location so I hired a tractor and placed it the backyard above the pond. Neighbors where relatively relieved, they thought I was building a personal chapel.

That’s little James on the ladder with me, and that is my Dad supervising.