About Us

Our mission is to inspire a lifelong respect for craftsmanship and a passion for creating by providing a diverse, safe, and excellent woodworking education for all.

We’re A Community Like No Other

We range in age from 18 to 85. At first glance you might wonder what brings us together. The answer is a shared love for woodworking. We’re serious about technique, maintain a tireless work ethic, thrive on helping each other solve problems. We believe the only failure is not trying. Our passions include hand tools, joinery, fine furniture, indigenous arts, woodturning, and creating a diverse and supportive fine woodworking community.

The first thing you’ll notice stepping into our bench rooms is how quiet it is.  That’s intentional. Don’t ask to turn up the stereo. We’re listening. We’re attuning our ears to recognize the sound of sharp tools on wood. However if you visit on a Friday afternoon we’ll be anything but quiet: we’ll be having a potluck and if the weather’s warm, you’ll find us outside in the sun, our mismatched dogs tethered close by. 

Some of us are training for our first careers, some are retraining, some are retired and pursuing a lifelong passion, some of us are novices and unsure where this adventure will lead us. Welcome.

Learn From The Best

We’re committed to offering students small class sizes, and the opportunity to study with an array of woodworking professionals who bring a wide breadth of specialties and master craftsmanship.

 As professional educators they are able to recognize individual learning styles, employ excellent communication skills, and are always generous with their patience and good humor. We’re fortunate to draw on our wealth of local woodworkers as faculty, including master craftspeople from around the world.  This pool of over 30 educators allows us to offer a combination of 12-week courses  and a diverse selection of shorter courses for woodworkers at various skill levels. If you have a specific interest not included in our current offerings please contact us at info@ptwoodschool.org.

Sustainability: keeping an eye towards the future.

The craft of traditional woodworking is sustainable by nature, as the techniques employed here endure the test of time. Glue only lasts 200 years: you want your joinery to be good! Whether you’re building heirloom furniture or framing your future wood shop, the goal is for the product to far outlive its creator.

Our commitment to responsible stewardship and sustainable practices is woven throughout our curriculum in which we discuss and promote the use of  non-toxic products and solid wood construction. This commitment inspires course offerings such as Timber Framing, Japanese Carpentry, Coopering, and others.

Port Townsend

We’re located at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.  The fort is home to educational organizations such as Centrum Foundation, Northwind Arts, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Madrona MindBody Institute, Goddard and Peninsula Colleges, and two history museums. Our students have the opportunity to attend music performances, marvel at an Orca skeleton, take a yoga class, get a massage, learn about the history of the fort or visit with students in other programs over a beer in one of the three on-site eateries. If you’re looking for a little quiet time, take hike on the beach or on the trails that span the 434-acre park. 

It’s not just about extracurricular activities. The buildings at the park provide students and interns the opportunity to apply and further hone their skills. In previous years our students retrofitted windows on two historic fort buildings and constructed porch furniture for officers’ row housing.  

Beyond the gates of the park, you’ll be welcomed by the historic Victorian port community of Port Townsend. In addition to bookstores, coffeehouses, restaurants and one of the most highly acclaimed movie theaters in the region, you’ll discover a community rich in traditional and skilled trades. Visit Boat Haven Marina and see the renovation of the Western Flyer, the boat John Steinbeck chartered for his tour on the Sea of Cortes; or enjoy the historic buildings downtown and local neighborhoods filled with Victorian architecture.