American Wood Column Corporation Closes After 110 Years in Brooklyn

The American Wood Column Corporation, a family-owned architectural woodwork company in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, is closing after 110 years. Founded by Thomas Lupo's grandfather, the company specialized in decorative moulding, columns, balusters, corbels, and other architectural elements. A documentary by filmmaker and photographer Joshua Charrow captures a final walk-through of the factory, which houses a vast collection of about 6,000 handmade wooden molds, many reverse-carved, some over 200 years old. The film features Lupo's favorite pieces and anecdotes, including six-foot pencils, ornamental department store columns, and set designs from Saturday Night Live, as well as grave details from The Godfather and the stairway from The Exorcist. Lupo, whose team has been with him for nearly 40 years, acknowledges that it's time to retire gracefully, stating, "I will be closing down the business. It's not a question of if, it's a question of when." The documentary is available on YouTube. The closure marks the end of an era for one of New York City's last standing wood column companies.