WELCOME TO
CALIFORNIA
REDWOOD
COMPANY
40
Years of Experience
ABOUT US
California Redwood Company is a boutique sawmill specializing in salvaged old growth and figured redwood. We are dedicated to providing the highest quality custom milled lumber and wood products. With over thirty years experience working almost exclusively with salvaged old growth redwood, our founder Steve Crowningshield is an expert in the field.
OUR HERITAGE
Redwoods have been around for about 240 million years. Fossil records show that ancestors of today’s coastal redwoods thrived during the Jurassic Era, 160 million years ago. The first European expedition up the coast of California encountered these magnificent trees in Monterey Bay in 1769. This rich history underpins our commitment to preserving and utilizing this incredible natural resource.
The Majesty of Redwood Trees
The redwood tree, Sequoia sempervirens, is native to the central and northern California coast. Extending from the Chetco River in Northern Oregon South to the Salmon Creek Canyon in the Santa Lucia Mountains of southern Monterey County, California. This narrow coastal belt spans 450 miles. These redwoods thrive in an ecosystem with moderate to heavy winter rain and summer fog, essential for their growth and survival.
A Treasure in the Lumber Industry
Coast redwood is highly valued for its beauty and resistance to decay. It is extensively used in outdoor carpentry, furniture making, decks, siding, timber framing, doors, windows, trim, paneling and tone-wood for stringed instruments. Historically, it has also been utilized for railroad ties throughout California. Burls and figured wood from the trunk are crafted into furniture, bowls, trays, and veneers.
The Majesty of Redwood Trees
The redwood tree, Sequoia sempervirens, is native to the central and northern California coast. Extending from the Chetco River in Northern Oregon South to the Salmon Creek Canyon in the Santa Lucia Mountains of southern Monterey County, California, this narrow coastal belt spans 450 miles. The redwoods thrive in an ecosystem with moderate to heavy winter rain and summer fog, essential for their growth and survival.
A Treasure in the Lumber Industry
Coast redwood is highly valued for its beauty and resistance to decay. It is extensively used in outdoor carpentry, furniture making, decks, siding, timber framing, doors, windows, trim and paneling. Historically, it has also been utilized for railroad ties throughout California. Burls and figured wood from the trunk are crafted into furniture, bowls, trays, and veneers.
Longevity, Growth, and Re-growth Potential
One of the most remarkable aspects of redwood trees is their longevity. The largest growth-ring count recorded on a stump is 2,200, indicating the tree's potential to live for over two thousand years. Redwood also coppices, sprouting new trees from the stump after it has been cut.
Sustainable Practices
At California Redwood Company, we are committed to sustainability. We use reclaimed logs from private lands, left behind during the heyday of old-growth logging. Due to the immense size of these trees, only the premium parts were transported to sawmills, leaving many flared butt logs and knotty tops behind. Additionally, during the logging boom of the 1850s-1930s, most of the logs were transported by river, subsequently, many ancient redwood logs sank to the river bottom on their way to sawmills. We reclaimed these “sinker” logs from 1994-97, giving new life to this precious wood and ensuring no resource goes to waste.
