About Us

We’re called Lancaster County Timber Frames, but we’re actually located in York county (it’s a long story), on the other side of the Susquehanna River. One of the high points of any work day is when a client — or a prospective client — finds the time to stop in for a visit. Unless all our craftsmen are on job-sites, we can show you how we hand-carve timber frames, give you a chance to meet all the folks working on your frame, show you samples of the kinds of wood we use, the joinery we do, and so on.

One other benefit of a visit to our facilities is being able to tour a couple of our projects that are nearby. We’ve worked just about everywhere from Nantucket to New Mexico, so it’s a real boon having some of our work within minutes of our shop and open to our clients. We hope you’ll take the time to visit.

“Each and every one of our timber frames is carved in our own shop, by our own craftsmen, by hand.”


Mission Statement

We all share a deeply-felt need to create dwellings that are unique expressions of our values and aspirations. Lancaster County Timber Frames exists to help others satisfy that need.

Timber frame construction has long been associated with this elemental drive. Lancaster County Timber Frames is dedicated to the preservation and elevation of this traditional craft.

We strive always — passionately and creatively — to hand-craft timber frames that enhance the spaces they define, that reflect and uplift the spirit of our clients, that exceed our clients’ expectations and nurture future generations.

Details, Perfection, Integrity – These are the watchwords that govern our daily work.

Our People

One of the original founders, Joe has been involved in the timber framer’s craft for thirty plus years. Joe can most often be found on our job sites directing the challenging but satisfying task of raising timber frames. He’s a dedicated family man who loves to spend time with his son, daughter, and wife.

Joe McCarthy

Founder-Senior Vice President

Owner and head of our design team, Josh is a licensed Architectural Engineer and Certified Professional Building Designer. He has been with LCTF since 2000 and lives in Lancaster County with his wife and five children. Favorite pastime: Taking the family for a hike in the woods.

Josh Coleman

Vice President Design

Most of us at LCTF wear a couple of different hats. Amy has a closet full of them. Owner and past president of the Timber Frame Business Council’s board of directors, Amy’s duties here run the gamut from finance management, contract administration, purchasing, and sourcing, to travel coordinator, logistician, and marketing and advertising coordinator. Amy’s career at LCTF started 2001. Her family consists of her husband, two kids, and two rambunctious dogs. Outside of work, she enjoys volunteering as a youth group leader, running, and remodeling her 1930’s farmhouse.

Amy Good

V.P. – Finance

Mike, a Bucks County native, grew up around stone & timber frame
barns. He holds a BA in Fine Arts, owned a landscaping company and spent 7 years timber framing with Methods & Materials Building Company.

Mike Cave

Timber Framer

Tyler lives in Lancaster and attended vo-tech for carpentry and Pennsylvania College of Technology for automotive technology. He has a background in framing and furniture making. In his free time, he climbs rocks.

Tyler Kroh

Timber Framer

Having been a Sergeant in the Marine Corps, Ed comes to LCTF with varied skills and leadership capabilities. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology from Penn State. When not at work, Ed can be found spending time with his family, working on his property, mountain bike riding, and playing with his two dogs,

ED LOBLEY - Lancaster County Timber Frames

Ed Lobley

Timber Framer

Justin comes to us with a wide array of various past positions held, including carpentry, painting, electrical, roofing, management, and rot rehabilitation work. When not at work, Justin can be found working on woodworking projects, playing guitar, spending time with family, and just enjoying life.

JUSTIN NIBLETT - 23MAY19 - Lancaster County Timber Frames

Justin Niblett

Timber Framer

Anthony grew up in New Oxford among several family members who had their own small woodshops. Their hobbies created an interest in Anthony, who, while in high school, heavily pursued woodworking and drafting classes. Upon graduation, Anthony sarted his woodoworking career at a custom mill shop. He enjoys eveything outdoors with the occasional hunting trip as well as taking care of his indoor tropical aquarium.

Anthony Rife

Timber Framer

Alex is a boatbuilder and timber framer. He recently moved back to his native Lancaster County after spending the better part of 10 years in the woods or at sea.

Alex Stewart

Timber Framer

Kirby is an creative designer, thoughtful instructor and awesome grand-dad.

Kirby Umholtz joined the Design Team in 2020. He has taught Tech Ed for over 30 years including a 10 year span at YTI as a Architectural & Civil Drafting Instructor. Kirby and his wife call Mount Joy home. He enjoys composting, puttering around the yard, and a wicked game of croquet with his extended family.

Kirby Umholtz

Designer

Josiah joined the LCTF team in 2020. He has a degree in Architectural Tech. from Thaddeus Stevens. Josiah is a master on AutoCAD and his enthusiasm and energy are contagious.

Josiah Zimmerman

Designer

One of the original founders of the company, Tony has been a timber framer for more than four decades. Recently retired, Tony remains involved with the regular workings of the business, while enjoying more time with his children and grand-children. He lives with his wife, two dachshunds, and three cats in Lancaster.

Tony Zaya

Founder- Retired President

Our Shop & Offices

  • Shop & Facilities:

    We have two shop buildings, just feet apart from each other: one is used for carving and pre-fitting, the other for finishing and storage. On sunny days in all but the winter months the doors are opened up and the work spills out into the outdoors, in the heart of York County farmland. Timbers are never left in a stack outside, though. Everything is stored indoors to make sure that we — and you — have the best quality raw material available.

  • Design Office:

    In addition to three full-time designers, at least three more of our shop floor craftsmen are conversant with the design process and software, and when we have a heavy design work load they can pitch in to keep things moving swiftly and smoothly. Having designers experienced in shop and site work, and craftsmen experienced in the design end of things, is one of the keys of our quality control program.

  • Front Office:

    Our back office — which is actually in front — is the nerve center for managing project flow and all the little nuts and bolts that go along with that. All communication passes through Amy Good’s very capable hands.

Timber framing with a chisel
Lancaster County Timber Frames Office
Timber frame parts staged in the LANCOTF workshop

Awards Won

Inc5000, Daily5 Remodel, GuildMaster,
Historic Preservation Trust…


Architectural Digest

The South Mountain Welcome Center along I-70, 12 miles south of Hagerstown was chosen by Architectural Digest as one of The 15 Most Beautiful Rest Stops in America. LCTF contributed bridge trusses on the interior and timbers for the connecting covered walkways. The board footage for this project was close to 70,000 board feet.

BCE Craftsmanship Award 2020

BC&E honored and recognized the extraordinary skill and talent from the construction and design industry at the 82nd Annual Craftsmanship Awards. The winners represent all facets of the industry. Each nominated work was judged based on overall craftsmanship including the quality of work, complexity of both technical and design challenges, and the level of difficulty. Mike Eenigenberg, LCTF’s Shop Foreman, was awarded the 2020 BCE Craftsmanship award for the heavy timbers at Church of the Resurrection.

Community of the Year 2016

The Potomac Shores master-planned community has been chosen as the “2016 Community of the Year” at the Northern Virginia Building Industry Association’s “Great American Living Awards” (GALA) in October in McLean, Virginia. Potomac Shores was developed by SunCal and covers 1,920 acres. Lancaster County Timber Frames’ contribution consisted of four separate structures: The main Recreation Barn, the Social Barn, the Market Pavilion, and the Pool Pavilion.

Guild Master — 2014-2010

GuildQuality has awarded Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc. the “2011 Guild Master Award” for its exceptional customer satisfaction rating. GuildQuality is an independent third party rating organization that surveys and reports on customer satisfaction for construction professionals. This is the fifth straight year that Lancaster County Timber Frames has received this award.

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County – 2013

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County at its 2013 honored twelve construction projects for excellence. In the category of Master Craftsman, specifically for ”meritorious efforts to save a historic structure” through master-level building skills and knowledge, the award went to Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc., Rettew Associates and Bulldog Construction..

Association for Bridge Construction and Design, Susquehanna Chapter — 2013

The Association for Bridge Construction and Design, Susquehanna Chapter, selected the Siegrist’s Mill Covered Bridge resoration project for its Outstanding Context-Sensitive Solution Bridge Design Award. The award recognizes projects that exemplify superb technical merit, constructibility, innovation, and aesthetics. Firms involved in this project are Rettew Associates – engineering; Bulldog Construction – roadwork and abutments; and Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc. – the bridge.

TFBC Sexiest Frame Award — 2012

The Timber Frame Business Council holds and annual competition for the most interesting and impressive un-enclosed timber frames. The contest is open to all timber frames and is judges by industry professionals, contestants, timber frame enthusiasts, builders — anyone who wants to be heard.

Daily5 Remodel — 2011

We recently took first prize in a contest conducted by the Daily 5 Remodel website, a construction industry intelligence organization. The contest was sponsored by the Rosboro company, the country’s largest manufacturer of glulams and other wood construction products.

INC. 5000 — 2009, 2007

On Wednesday, August 12, 2009 Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc. was named to the 2009 Inc5000 list of the fastest growing privately held companies in America. It is the second appearance on this list for LCTF, Inc.; the first appearance was in 2007.

Woodworks Award — 2009

For its work on the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on the campus of Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc., along with WGM Design, Inc., was honored with the Woodworks Award. This award acknowledges well-designed wood based solutions that exhibit creativity in innovative commercial structures that push the boundaries of conventional practice. For a brief film showcasing the chapel’s architecture and Lancaster County Timber Framing’s craftsmanship, click on the following link: Chapel Video

Best of the Web — 2009

The Lancaster County Timber Frames website was selected as first runner-up in the Construction/Real Estate Division at the Central Penn Business Journal’s 2009 Best of the Web award ceremony.

2007 — Winner Philadelphia Magazine’s Home and Garden 2007 Dream Kitchen Contest – Contemporary Category

Kops Residence (Design: John Hubert Architects & John Hubert Associates)

2005 — AIA Eastern Pennsylvania

Design Awards Program Award of Excellence Kolbe Residence

2004, 1999,98 — ABC, Inc.

2004 Regional Merit Award, Residential Division Risk Residence Article, 1999 National Merit Award, Residential Division Hamilton Barn, 1998 PA State Merit Award, Commercial Division Plain-N-Fancy Restaurant, 1998 PA State 1st Place, Residential Division (First Perfect Score Given in PA) Hamilton Barn

2003 — 19th Annual Timber Framers Guild Conference

People’s Choice Award Project Expo ‘The Wedge’ Restaurant at Liberty Forge Golf Course

2002 — 18th Annual Timber Framers Guild Conference

People’s Choice Award Project Expo Haar Residence
Article

2002 — Pittsburgh Magazine

8th Annual Superior Interior Award (Residences Over 3,500 Square Feet) Celento Henn Residence
Article

2002 — Pittsburgh Magazine

8th Annual Superior Interior Award (Residences Over 3,500 Square Feet) Celento Henn Residence
Article

2000 — Dewalt

Dewalt National Woodworking Masterpiece Award Vastyan Residence
Article

2017 – Central Penn Business Journal

Lancaster County Timber Frames, Inc. ranks No. 239 in the TOP 250 private companies in central Pennsylvania.


Trade & Business
Associations

Following is a list of professional
organizations in which we are members.


Timber Framers Guild

National Federation of Independent Business

 

Timber Frame Business Council

Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County

BBB

Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Society

United States Chamber of Commerce

National Trust For Historic Preservation

Guild Quality


Who We’ve Worked With

We’ve worked with over 200 different architects and builders. Click below to see an unedited list of them.


So what is it with this fascination with timber framing? The answers are simple: Timber frames are structural sculpture. They lift the spirit and soothe the soul.

Letter From The President

After teaching architectural drawing and woodworking to the young for twenty years, I gave in to my growing obsession with timber framing and left my chosen profession to pursue this craft.

For the first two years, my shop was an open air affair — my driveway. Then came a shop that I built mostly from discarded material. It was small and uninsulated, but the rain, snow and most of the wind stayed outside. After another shop1eight years, operations were moved to a 13,000 sq. ft. shop and design studio. Now we had an overhead crane and soon after a forklift. These conveniences came after one of my lumbar discs exploded, the meniscus in my left knee ruptured and the ulnar nerve in my left elbow called it quits.

People who knew me from my teaching period have often asked, hopefully with at least some tongue in cheek, what it now feels like to actually work for a living. Granted, I now have much longer days, and the three months of summer break are a foggy memory. I loved teaching, but it was demanding and, at times, emotionally draining. Teaching was hard; this craft is a dream. A grown man should not have this much fun. I still have the worn Erector Sets, the American Plastic Bricks and the Lincoln Logs of my youth (actually in a corner of my office here) as well as the fond memories of the hay bale forts and the numerous tree houses that I built. Now I get to do all that on a bigger and even more exciting scale.

So what is it with this fascination with timber framing? The answers are simple: Timber frames are structural sculpture. They lift the spirit and soothe the soul. Timber frames demand damn near perfection in their execution. Mistakes in design, sloppy joinery and inattention to detail cannot be hidden behind drywall or filled with putty or covered by paint. And, timber framing has a proven history measured not in centuries, but in millennia. I have been in timber frame structures that have been in continuous use for over a thousand years. Such a level of permanence almost moves one to kneel. Finally, timber framing is a method, not a style. Through frame design, detailing, species selection and finish, almost any feel or mood can be achieved.

There are eighteen of us in the company. We are a small company and will stay that way. We design, engineer and carve our own frames. And, we raise our own frames. None of us has the desire to mass produce cookie cutter timber frames; none of us want to feed raw timbers into some soulless CNC machine.

If I were a timid soul and if I would have anything even close to a regret it would be this: after more than three decades of gathering the people together who form this company, after searching for those with a burning passion, those who have a talent for creating and fashioning and those who believe that perfection is attainable, I have slowly come to the realization that, were I not the president, if I were to apply for a position here I am not fully sure I would be hired. But, I am not a timid soul so, for this unanticipated consequence I’ll assume full responsibility and feel some pride.