Hardwood Floors February/March 2026

His most memorable project was a replacement in the historic Highfield Hall and Gardens estate in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Nutter says the floors had been sanded down to the point they couldn’t be saved. Custom-milled 2½” white oak was created, and it had to be put back exactly the way it came out per the Department of Interior rules. “Highfield Hall was built in the 1800s and then abandoned for many years until a group of people brought it back. It still had the original floors, but it was too far gone,” he shares. “There were a lot of details to that project; border work everywhere.” Lynn has seen many buildings from the early to mid-1700s, usually featuring wide-plank pine floors. One job at Cliveden (the Chew House) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, had a connection to his own family’s history. “The Battle of Germantown took place there in 1777, where George Washington participated in the battle, and the British were inside the Chew House Manor. My fifth great-grandfather, Captain David Lynn of the 7th Maryland Continental Line, was there fighting the British who were inside the house. Generations later, I’m inside restoring the house,” says Lynn.

“These buildings mean a lot to a lot of people, and you have to treat them with respect. If you’re into production, don’t get into this portion of the business.” — Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors

PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL FLOORS INC.

Dating back to the 1760s, the William Paca House in Annapolis, Maryland, was built for one of the state’s signers of the Declaration of Independence and is a National Historic Landmark. In restoring the building’s short leaf pine floors, Universal Floors was not allowed to use any modern tools. “Back in the 1700s, the floors most likely didn’t have a finish on them. They would take fine sifted river sand, put it in a wool sock, and they would scrub the floors almost like they do on decks on ships. It would get rid of spots and stains in the floor,” explains Lynn. “They would hand-scrub the floors, so we emulated that method, and it was pretty fun. We did everything short of riding a horse to work, and the historic people really loved it.” Across the pond, the term “historic” can involve flooring fit for royalty. Workcamp Parquet projects have included a maintenance restoration on

Sprigg Lynn with Universal Floors Inc. advises not to put a nail, a fastener, or drill a hole through the floorboard without knowing what’s underneath. He says to anticipate that there could be a gas line, a power line, a water line, or electrical wires.

parquet floors from 1690 at Groot-Bijgaarden Castle in Belgium, as well as work on the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria.

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