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Lewisburg restoration firm back on DIY channel

Charleston Gazette photo courtesy of Danielle Moir Photography Brian Buckner, Tim Rose, Johnny Jett, Mark Bowe and Sherman Thompson (left to right) appear on “Barnwood Builders.”
Charleston Gazette photo courtesy of Danielle Moir Photography
Brian Buckner, Tim Rose, Johnny Jett, Mark Bowe and Sherman Thompson (left to right) appear on “Barnwood Builders.”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Mark Bowe always knew he wanted to work for himself, but he never thought his career would revolve around craftsmanship — until an old cabin in the woods of Roane County changed that and led to a TV show.

Bowe could feel himself living there, cooking over a fire in the cabin. He felt himself cutting the logs and building that home. That’s when he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the restoration business. He started his business — Antique Cabins and Barns — 18 years ago.

“Barnwood Builders” chronicles some of the projects his Lewisburg-based business completes for a national audience. The show begins its second season on Sunday at 9 p.m. on the DIY channel. The season has nine, one-hour episodes.

“There is nothing more satisfying than to walk into a building that was built in the 1800s and your mind immediately begins to go back to a simpler time,” Bowe said. “You start thinking of what life was like — and to be able to take a building like that, work with really nice clients and good builders, and breathe life into something that hasn’t had that type of life in it for 100 years is very, very rewarding.”

Bowe had his first hands-on interaction with antique wood when he was still working in an underground coal mine. A co-worker asked him to help take down a building in Beckley. Taking down the building only took a day. After, Bowe took the scrap wood to a man who dabbled in antique lumber.

Bowe didn’t know too much about the wormy chestnut wood that he delivered but he knew he liked the pay. He figured he’d just keep finding old buildings to take down.

He used to drive all around the state looking for barns and eventually cabins.

Antique Cabins and Barns have taken down or restored more than 400 buildings…

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