Welcome to Cape Fear Riverwood

When North Carolina was first settled in the 1600’s, the land was dense with long leaf pine and cypress trees. They grew slowly - taking about 200 years to mature. The result was heart pine that had a unique character and beauty. The colony went to work cutting the timber and floating it down the Cape Fear River to the sawmills in the port city of Wilmington. At one point there were as many as 50 sawmills in a 30 mile stretch of river. Due to its slow growth, the timber was strong and durable. It was used to build boats, buildings, and homes. King George III claimed the largest trees within 3 miles of the Atlantic for himself. As a result heart pine became known as “the king’s wood.”

As the logs floated down the river or waited in holding pens near the mills, the densest ones would sink. The loggers did not have a way to retrieve the “sinkers” or a reason to do so with the abundant supply of logs. As the virgin forests dried up in the 1900’s and the sawmills disassembled, the sinkers were forgotten and preserved under the mud of the riverbed… until today.

With a little historical research, sonar technology, and permits from North Carolina Government agencies, we are now able to retrieve the preserved logs. Our trained log-recovery team brings them up to a surface they have not seen in 100 years or more. Then we take them to our mill just outside of Wilmington to prepare wood flooring, paneling, butcher block countertops, and mantelpieces.

The wood that we recover is the same as that still walked on in Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and other early American historical sites. It has the same strength, color, and beauty - but without the 200 year wait. Bringing the unparalleled beauty of t his unique wood and the rich history that goes with it to our customers is only part of our mission. Our other aim is to encourage and respect our environment. Cape Fear Riverwood^TM only reclaims felled wood logs and antique lumber from existing structures (such as barns or buildings set to be torn down). See more under Go Green! Once you have walked on a Riverwood floor, you will be in love with its history and beauty.