From left to right, Rick Brown, Jonathan Kenkel, Andrew Miller, Michael Burrey, Lorry DuBois, Jackson DuBois, Marie Brown, Laura Brown, and Nick Russel standing with the 1:10 scale La Forêt model display of Notre-Dame’s timber roof system made by participants of the Handshouse Studio: Notre-Dame Project.
Handshouse’s full-scale reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris’ choir truss #6, built by Handshouse participants using medieval tools and processes was exhibited at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, NY from June 24th - September 15th, 2025. This exhibition of both the full-scale Notre-Dame Project truss reconstruction and 1:10 scale La Forêt model of the Notre-Dame choir section was another wonderful opportunity to share the complex architecture of Notre-Dame de Paris and the story of how Handshouse Notre-Dame Project representatives, Cooperstown local Jackson DuBois, and Massachusetts carpenter Michael Burrey were invited to join in the reconstruction of Notre-Dame cathedral in France.
Exhibitions of this scale take lots of imagination, and persistence. This one was possible thanks to the inspiration of Jackson DuBois, Executive Director of the Timber Framers Guild, who thought to reach out to his local community to share this project in his “backyard.” Jackson’s idea grew into a possibility thanks to the vision of Dr. Paul D'Ambrosio, President and CEO of the Fenimore Art Museum who reached into the community to find the support to do the heavy lift to get this truss to Cooperstown. And the exhibition became a reality thanks to the tenacious managerial excellent of Joe Siracusa, Fenimore Art Museum’s Vice President for Operations, the creativity of Fenimore Art Museum’s exceptional nstallation team led by Luke Wycoff. And the Notre-Dame truss got the chance to scrape the sky once again thanks to the professional volunteerism of Jackson DuBois, Michael Burrey, Preservation Carpentry faculty of the North Bennet Street School, Andrew Miller and Nicholas Russell of Tall Pine Timber Frames, Laura Shay and Jonathan Kenkel, Preservation Carpentry professionals and alum of the North Bennet Street School, Handshouse Studio, Executive Director, Marie Brown, and Handshouse Studio Board members Nat Crosby and Rick and Laura Brown.
