Donna Erlewine, who owns Whipperwill Holler Hand-Made
Wooden Treasures with her husband, Ronnie, talks about their
Grantsville business. (Photos by Craig Cunningham)
Grantsville, W.Va. retirees have been making country and primitive furniture for 5 years
By Charlotte Ferrell Smith
Daily Mail staff
dailymail.com
GRANTSVILLE, W.Va. - Ronnie and Donna Erlewine first tried their hands at selling furniture about five years ago when they displayed some sofa tables at a Calhoun County event.
"I took them to the Jane Lew Firemen's Festival and I thought they were gonna fight over them," Donna recalled.
The Erlewines now make a whole line of primitive and country furniture from their home at Whipperwill Holler.
"We make dining room tables, benches, wash stands, dry sinks, sofa and end tables, and night stands," Donna said. "We've sold several dining room tables with side benches."
Erlewine made this folk art doll.
Among other creations are hall trees, pie safes, breadboxes, bookcases, quilt racks, and coffee tables that double as storage trunks. Handmade dolls, crafts and rugs are also available. Items are reasonably priced from $10 to $300 with care taken to produce quality wares.
They use a variety of wood, including oak, poplar, pine, beech, and maple. They search far and wide for old doors to turn into things like cabinet doors.
The two work year-round to make enough pieces to keep up with demand.
"When it's pretty, we work every day to get ready for shows," she said. "Then we don't have to work when it's miserable hot. It's nothing we have to do. If I get tired, I go in and sit down."
Ronnie, 66, is retired from the state Department of Highways. Donna, 65, has had several jobs from beautician to home health worker. They have three daughters and eight grandchildren.
They make their wooden treasures because they enjoy the process and the creativity of coming up with new pieces.
"We buy the wood, plane it, cut it, sand it, put it together, and paint or stain," she said.
On a recent day, several finished pieces were stored in a building. Woodworking tools filled the garage. The long, front porch was dotted with furniture in various stages of completion.
"You can see every color I've ever used," Donna said, pointing to colorful paint splatters on the porch.
People sometimes stop by their house on South Calhoun Highway to shop. If the Erlewines don't have what they want, it's likely they can make it.
In the winter months, the Erlewines join about 25 other crafters from throughout the area and display wares in an empty store in Grantsville.
"A bunch of us go to an empty store building in November and stay until after Christmas," she said. "We have everything from furniture and wreaths to candles and jewelry. We have a blacksmith with a lot of unique things."
For more information, check out the Web site at whipperwillholler e-mail whipperwillholler@yahoo.com or call 304-354-6793.
Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at charlo...@dailymail.com or 304-348-1246.
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