About Heart Pine

Heart Pine, also known as Longleaf Pine or Pitch Pine, grew in vast quantities from Virginia to Florida and west to Texas. Some trees reached 175 feet in height. It took 200 - 400 years for the species to reach maturity.

Heart Pine became known for its exceptional quality as a building material. The British used it to build naval ships and shipped large quantities back to Europe to build hospitals, factories, and other buildings. Rosin and turpentine were manufactured from other parts of the tree.

When the Industrial Revolution began to be felt in the United States Heart Pine wias the first choice for construction of factories and other buildings. By 1900 almost all of the virgin Heart Pine was cut. Relatively little new forests are being planted today. Our only source of virgin Heart Pine is from old factories and warehouses that are being demolished for new constuction and development.

Due to the way these old buildings were constructed, timbers up to 24 x 24 inches and some as long as 50 feet in length were used. These beams are a valuable source of material sawing into flooring, moulding, and other products.

Like virgin Heart Pine forests, someday soon these old buildings will be all gone, leaving old, reclaimed Heart Pine very difficult to obtain.