Our History
The Sprague Woodworking Story
In 1979, Howard Whitman Sprague (or "Whit") founded Sprague Woodworking in a three-story New England Style barn that he designed and built on his property in Harvard, Massachusetts.
As a home builder, Whit brought years of experience in carpentry to his new business. From the very beginning, Sprague Woodworking manufactured cabinet doors, raised panel shutters and custom cabinetry for individuals, contractors, home centers, and lumber companies. Over the years, its loyal customer base grew and the shop was relocated to an industrial space nearby. About 10 years ago, we added wood countertops to our product line. That side of the business has steadily grown and in early 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we made a business decision to concentrate our business on building custom wood countertops, table tops, desk tops and shelving exclusively. We put our door line on hold and are now focusing our efforts on Butcher Block and Plank style countertops, floating shelves, custom table tops and other butcher block products. We continue to grow that side of the business and are working on adding more tops everyday.
Since 1979, Sprague Woodworking has worked with customers both near and far. Our commitment to superior products and personal service have been a big reason for our success. We enjoy meeting our customers and showing off our wood countertop products. Wood countertops practically sell themselves, as they always add warmth and character to any room in the house. Who doesn't need that?
This white barn is where it all began. The top floor was truly a start-up business and it checked many of they typical boxes:
Flexible Hours? Check. Try raising a family at work with a rigid schedule.
Production Pivoting: Transitioning from home-builder to cabinet production was never more in fashion.
In a garage? Absolutely.
The Sprague Woodworking Family
Sprague Woodworking has always employed talented local craftsmen and is proud to have three generations of family craftsmen in the business. Today, thanks to Whit's son Alex and daughter Nancy, Sprague Woodworking is constantly working to develop new products to meet their customers' needs and is one of the leading custom woodworking shops in the New England area. Many of Whit's grandchildren have spent summers working for the family business. Some are still there! Some have moved on to other career choices. But you will always find one or two working part-time in the summer and on college breaks, learning the ins and outs of running a small manufacturing company. Whit knows that Sprague Woodworking's commitment to quality craftsmanship and superior personal service will be passed on to generations of family craftsman.