{"id":315615,"date":"2026-08-06T23:26:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315615\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T23:26:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T23:26:25","slug":"new-york-citys-last-standing-wood-column-company-closes-after-110-years-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/315615\/","title":{"rendered":"New York City’s Last Standing Wood Column Company Closes After 110 Years \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

110 years ago, Thomas Lupo\u2019s grandfather opened the American Wood Column Corporation in Brooklyn\u2019s Williamsburg neighborhood. Specializing in architectural woodwork including decorative moulding, columns, balusters, corbels, and more, the historic family-owned company is shutting down after more than a century. A new documentary<\/a> directed and produced by filmmaker and photographer Joshua Charrow<\/a> takes viewers on one final walk-through of the factory.<\/p>\n

A vast collection of about 6,000 handmade wooden molds\u2014many of them reverse carved molds\u2014cover the walls and correspond to numbered samples for reference. \u201cMy grandfather bought these molds used, and they were used,\u201d Lupo explains. \u201cSo they\u2019ve got to be over 200 years old.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Throughout the film, Charrow follows Lupo around the building, documenting the owner\u2019s favorite pieces and timeless anecdotes. Among these works are six-foot pencils, ornamental department store columns, set designs from Saturday Night Live, grave details from The Godfather, The Exorcist stairway, and more.<\/p>\n

Filled with family stories and nostalgic memories of growing up inside a woodworking studio, Lupo is cognizant of the fact that he, too, is growing older. His team, who has been with him for close to 40 years, believe it\u2019s also time to retire gracefully. \u201cI will be closing down the business. It\u2019s not a question of if, it\u2019s a question of when. That\u2019s all.\u201d he says. \u201cLike anything else, everything changes. Time goes on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watch the full video on YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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