Southwick Altarworks began in a small workshop in western Massachusetts, but its roots run much deeper than woodworking.
My name is Edward, and I am the craftsman behind every piece in this shop. Working alone, I design, build, sand, finish, inspect, package, and ship each item myself. Every cross, rosary box, kneeler, and devotional piece begins as sustainably sourced rough lumber and ends as something created with care, patience, purpose, and prayer.
I work primarily with hardwoods such as walnut, cherry, oak, and maple. These woods possess a warmth and character that cannot be replicated by materials used in mass production. Every board tells its own story through grain patterns, color variations, and natural beauty that i seek out and orchestrate. No two pieces are exactly alike, and I believe that is part of what makes handcrafted work so meaningful.
What started as an interest in woodworking eventually became something much more important to me.
Like many people, as I grow older, I look back and where I walked through a few seasons of life that were difficult, uncertain, and at times lonely. During my most difficult time, I found myself spending more and more time in the shop. The simple act of creating something with my hands became a refuge; a therapy of sorts. The workshop became a place of quiet retreat, all sort of reflection, but most importantly, prayer.
Somewhere along the way, I made a cross, and listed it on Etsy. It is still one of the only products I sell on Etsy.
It was four weeks before I received an order. Silly how excited I was!
Now, as Christians, we recognize the cross as the burden Christ willingly carried for US, but within a few months, when I found myself getting orders and making crosses every day, for the first time in years, felt someone else (or something else) holding the walls up around me, and its power made itself known. It was far stronger than myself.
It took me a while to realize it was the Holy Spirit, trying to get it through my stubborn head, that no wall would fall on me or anyone I loved any time soon. Trying to get me to realize that that the cross my savior carried for me, was now carrying me.
That truth is not lost on me. In fact it's completely overwhelming, and every thing I do now, and every decision I make gets filtered through that lens.
As beautiful as many feel they are, the pieces I create are not meant to be decorations. They are reminders. Reminders that God's presence is often found in ordinary moments and in ordinary places, but never under any circumstances absent. Reminders of Faith. Reminders of Hope. And reminders of Love.
A cross on a desk.
A prayer plaque on a wall.
A novena counter on a dresser,
A kneeler in a quiet corner.
Simple objects become quiet invitations to prayer, gratitude, reflection, and trust.
Every item that leaves my workshop is built with the hope that it will become part of someone's story. Some are purchased to celebrate joyous occasions ... baptisms, confirmations, weddings, anniversaries. Others during times of unspeakable pain and grief, moments of loss, healing, or remembrance of a loved one.
Knowing that something made in my small workshop can become so meaningful to someone and become part of those moments and personal stories is both humbling and deeply rewarding.
Today, hundreds of crosses and other pieces from Southwick Altarworks have found homes throughout the the world. That still amazes me. A piece of wood resting on my workbench in Massachusetts can eventually become part of a family's home and story thousands of miles away.
Thank you for visiting my shop and supporting a small independent craftsman.
More importantly, thank you for allowing me to serve my creator by creating something that may helps keep faith in his grace alive and close, even in life's busiest seasons.
After all, that's exactly what these pieces have done for me.
