New England Craftsmanship | est. in the tradition of the masters
Honoring the architectural legacy of New England's finest historic homes — one carefully restored timber, sash, and cornice at a time.
Begin Your Restoration"Rooted in the craft traditions of colonial New England, HIS Carpentry brings generations of expertise to the preservation and restoration of the region's most treasured historic homes. We work with period-appropriate materials, time-honored joinery, and an unwavering respect for the buildings that came before us — ensuring they endure for generations yet to come."
From hand-fitted window sashes and mortise-and-tenon sill repairs to the careful duplication of Federal-era millwork profiles, every project in our portfolio reflects a deep reverence for historic authenticity. We serve homeowners, preservation societies, and architects throughout New England who understand that a historic house is not just a property — it is a living piece of history.
New England's historic homes were built to last centuries — and with the right care, they will. Our craftsmen are trained in traditional joinery, plaster repair, historic glazing, and period-appropriate finishing techniques that no power tool shortcut can replicate.
We take pride in sourcing materials that match the original: old-growth lumber profiles, hand-blown glass, traditional oil and lead paint systems, and custom-milled molding profiles reproduced from historic originals. Whether your home dates to the Colonial era, the Federal period, or the Greek Revival, we bring the knowledge to match its character exactly.
Answers to the questions homeowners most often ask us about historic preservation, restoration, and working with HIS Carpentry across New England.
In the vast majority of cases, yes. Old-growth wood — the material used in windows made before the mid-20th century — is dramatically denser and more rot-resistant than modern lumber. A well-maintained original sash has already outlasted any vinyl or aluminum replacement window on the market today. We repair sashes, reglaze with traditional compounds, fabricate custom interior storm windows, and restore rope-and-pulley weight systems — delivering energy performance that rivals modern windows while preserving the wavy glass and hand-planed profiles that define your home.
The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties are the national guidelines that define best practice in preservation work. They prioritize retaining original material, repairing before replacing, and ensuring new work is compatible with the historic fabric. These standards govern work on properties seeking federal or state historic tax credits, and they form the professional baseline for all of our projects — regardless of whether tax credits are involved.
Yes. We are experienced working with National Register-listed properties, local historic district commissions, and State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) throughout New England — including Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island. We understand the Certificate of Appropriateness and review processes in each state and can help guide homeowners through them. We also serve private homeowners whose properties are not formally listed but deserve the same level of care.
We work throughout all six New England states — Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Rhode Island. Our projects have taken us from Greater Boston and the South Shore to the Connecticut River Valley, the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, the historic town centers of Vermont, and coastal Maine. If your historic home is in New England, we would like to hear about it.
The first step is a site visit and condition assessment. We walk the property with you, document existing conditions with photography, assess what work is urgent and what can wait, and discuss the options for each element of the building. From that visit we prepare a clear written scope of work with transparent, itemized pricing. Call us at 617-347-6744 or use our contact form to get started.
Whether you're beginning a full historic rehabilitation or addressing a single deteriorated window, our team is ready to help you care for your piece of New England history.
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