The Burnt Bench gets its name simply from the fact that the wood, in its previous life as a structural member in a building, was scorched by fire.
The John Abell farm machinery factory operated in Toronto from the 1860’s, and was later converted into artist studios, until eventually succumbing to development pressure. The building was razed in 2008 to make way for condominium development.
When I first found this wood, it was blackened and muddy as it had been sitting in a puddle, thrown there by demolition machinery. Subsequent cleaning and scraping off of the charred parts, revealed a beautiful chunk of White Pine. The scorching is still evident as the heat discolored the wood during the fire.
The Burnt Bench is six feet long, seventeen inches high and twelve inches deep. The cost of this bench is $1450 Canadian Dollars.
