Roy Underhill (born December 22, 1950)''Woodworker's Journal'', "Roy Underhill: A Quarter Century of Subversive Woodworking"
Retrieved January 7, 2014 is an American woodworker and television show host. Born and raised in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, he was the first master housewright at the

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

reconstruction. Since 1979, he has been the host of the

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

series ''

The Woodwright's Shop ''The Woodwright's Shop'' is an American traditional woodworking show hosted by master carpenter Roy Underhill and airing on television network PBS. It is one of the longest running how-to shows on PBS, with thirty-five 13-episode seasons produ ...

''. Along with ''

This Old House ''This Old House'' is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a websiteThisOldHouse.com. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the American television networ ...

'', which debuted the same year, it is the longest running PBS "how-to" show. Underhill was introduced to traditional woodworking by a sister who worked at the

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. He attended the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

and earned a degree in Theater. In the early 1970s, Underhill and his wife moved to

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to form Homestead Arts to pursue a career in acting. When that failed, the Underhills moved to a remote area of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

where traditional woodworking was one of the few means of survival. In the late 1970s, Underhill moved back to

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

, pursuing a multi-disciplinary course of study including

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...

, and

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...

and was subsequently awarded a Master of Forestry in 1977. At the birth of his first daughter, he approached the UNC Center for Public Television with an idea about a traditional woodworking show. Initially rejected, the idea was finally accepted; in 1979, filming began on ''The Woodwright's Shop'' at

West Point on the Eno West Point on the Eno is a city park and historical center covering in Durham, Durham County, North Carolina. Several historical structures are conserved on the site: * West Point Mill - a reproduction colonial-era mill that is now a museum. ...

in Durham, N.C.''Mother Earth News'', "Have Broadax-Will Time Travel"
Retrieved January 7, 2014. Around the same time, he also took the job as master housewright and later director of interpretive development at

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. More recently, Underhill also works as a communications consultant. He is the author of several books, including ''The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop'' and ''Woodwright's Shop: A Practical Guide to Traditional Woodcraft''. In 2011 he gave a presentation at TEDx Raleigh, sharing the value of ingenuity and living in the present. Underhill has started teaching traditional woodworking in a classroom environment he calls "The Woodwright's School". As of January 2014, his classroom is located in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Many hand tool aficionados hold Underhill in extremely high regard and may refer to him with the shorthand "St. Roy."

Publications

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References

External links

PBS site for The Woodwright's ShopUNC Press – ''The Woodwright's Shop'' minisiteWoodworker's Journal Article - ''A Quarter Century Of Subversive Woodworking'' 2005Mother Earth News interview from 1985A 1983 Mother Earth News articleThe Woodwright's School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Roy 1950 births Living people American woodworkers Duke University alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni People from Washington, D.C. People from Chapel Hill, North Carolina