THE WORK OF OUR HANDS 

AT SAINT JOHN’S, FOR WELL OVER 160 YEARS, the craftsmen at Abbey Woodshop have created high-quality furniture, architectural details, and other wood products that reflect values of stability, simplicity, and forest. 

Over the course of the past couple of years, the Abbey has worked diligently to raise funds for the construction of a new facility, now called Abbey Woodshop: Artisans, Organ Builders, and Woodworking. With a groundbreaking for the new structure on July 28, 2022, the construction of the $12.3 million, 28,000-square-foot building was completed, blessed, and dedicated on October 17, 2023. We are proud of this achievement, which was made possible primarily through the strong support of our donors and the dedication of the leadership team that worked hard to accomplish this feat in such a short amount of time. 

The new construction updates expand our woodworking capabilities and accommodate the addition of a new venture—the building of pipe organs for churches and other institutions around the country and beyond. Both these enterprises are anchored in preserving and transmitting knowledge of handwork. With this new facility, the collaboration of both woodworking and organ building will allow for mentoring students, apprentices, and volunteers who wish to learn the art and techniques of woodworking, organ building, repair, and maintenance by training students, creating apprenticeships, and increasing volunteer opportunities. 

Though we have made incredible progress in the past two years in raising funds to construct this new facility, we could still use your help to raise the remaining $900,000 to fully complete this project's funding. 

THANK YOU to all who have gotten us this far. We invite everyone to consider helping us raise the remaining sum needed for this project.