Bill Pauwels Constructs Latest Building at Pinecrest Historical Village

The design, construction, and erection of the Krueger Sawmill, the newest addition to the Pinecrest Historical Village, was led by our very own 2018 Associate of the Year, Bill Pauwels. Bill became involved in the project as a member of Mid-Lakes Rustic Iron Group (an antique farm machinery preservation group) and through his wife's working relationship with the Manitowoc County Historical Society (MCHS).

"Everything was brought to my home in the fall and I proceeded to mortise and tenon all the 8 x 8s, cut the rafters, and make all the angled knee braces. I assembled one joint as a sample, and using check jigs, I “pre-built” the building at home over the winter. MCHS paid for the cement, we had a volunteer group of our members and a local excavator help pour it last fall, and this spring we put up the building, assembled the sawmill and had it running in time for our event. The company doing the excavating around their other buildings, who happens to be a member of our group, used this onsite equipment to spread and level the topsoil for us at no charge. All in all, the only money paid out for the building was the actual concrete and a very reduced rate for gravel. Everything else, from the roofing material, nails, trees to make lumber, fabricated steel anchor plates, heavy equipment to make foundation, right down to the food to feed all of us, was either donated or bartered for."

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Burger congratulates Bill for his outstanding volunteer work in addition to all he does for Burger!