Custom Victorian Gingerbread For Your Home

Gingerbread houses aren't just for Christmas time. Blue Ox Millworks manufactures a wide variety of fully custom gingerbread and scrollwork for homes across the country. Whether your project is a classic Queen Anne or a Russian East Orthodox church, the artisans at Blue Ox stand ready to go to work for you.

Spandrels, sunbursts, paper doll balusters, redwood shingles, whatever your job may require, the craftsmen at Blue Ox know how to help. We have worked with nearly every element of Victorian architecture, and if we don't know how to make something, we'll find out. We have a full Victorian job shop, with lathe room, shingle mill, molder shop, door and window shop, blacksmith shop, plaster shop, and nearly every woodworking tool from the Victorian era. Get ideas in our pattern book here.

(Near Right): The gingerbread in this photo was constructed from an early 20th century photograph of a home in Russia (Far Right) Eric hand carves a detail in this photo by Jay Mather.

Eric Hollenbeck puts the finishing touches on a piece of custom Victorian gingerbread

Spanning the Centuries

Most Victorian gingerbread these days is mass produced, but at Blue Ox we take great care with each ornament, often hand carving delicate historic elements, and most of our exterior work is done in salvaged all heart old growth redwood, so your ornamentation will last for a hundred years or more. Eric Hollenbeck personally oversees each job, to make sure that his customers receive the same Blue Ox quality that has made our shop famous for over thirty years. All of our gingerbread is fully custom. We can work off of photographs, diagrams, or even just a quick sketch.

At Blue Ox, we have a tool for every job. Whether you are looking for the pure authenticity of our human powered tool collection, or the blazing power of our automated shingle machine, whether you're looking for a crisp mortise and tenon joint, or just want some tongue and groove from our molder shop, Blue Ox are the suppliers for your millwork needs.

(Far Left): Eric Hollenbeck poses with a piece of scrollwork in this circa 1980s photo by Neil Gilchrist. (Near Left): A hand carved piece of scrollwork awaits a few finishing touches before being added to a custom gable decoration.

Eric Hollenbeck poses with a piece of custom Victorian scrollwork

We Custom Make What You Need

Gutters • Corbels • Doors • Windows • Spandrels • Handrail • Rosettes • Plinth Blocks • Custom Molding • Finials • Columns • Balusters • Widow's Walks • Shingles • Board and Batten • Floor boards • Siding • Dentils • Window Casing • Paper doll Balusters • Corner Blocks • Sunbursts • Festoons • Gables • Brackets • Newel Posts • Cornice • Frieze • Mantles • Porticos • Lintels • Spindle work • Capitals • Chair Rail • Fretwork • Wainscoting • Arrowsmiths • Decorative trim • Anything that your woodworking project might require.

Eric Hollenbeck has been working with wood for over forty years, and his expertise has been utilized by the president of the United States, the U.S. Cabinet, Senators, Governors' Mansions, historic parks and cathedrals, revolutionary war era forts, and thousands of others. He is an expert in all levels of Victorian architecture and has helped to restore thousands of historical homes across the United States and Canada.

(Near Right): Custom scrollwork and gingerbread in the Blue Ox fabrication shop. (Far Right) This custom finial was made by Blue Ox for the governor's mansion in Sacramento, California.

Custom Victorian scrollwork and a custom finial for the governor's mansion in Sacramento

Not Your Typical Run-of-the-Mill Products

Blue Ox is more than just another manufacturer, we are a Victorian architectural job shop. That means that we oversee every step in the creation of your architectural elements. We have our own mill so that we can mill up all our lumber to dimension, just like they did in Victorian times. Our two by fours are actually two by fours, not one and a half by three and a half. We do the design work, we mill the lumber, we do the scroll work and turning, we hand carve, and we assemble the product so that all that needs to be done on site is to attach it and paint it.

Whether you need a portico, a pediment, or just an interesting touch for your door or window, the fine craftsmen at Blue Ox Millworks are ready to help. Come to us for any restoration, renovation, replacement, or new construction. Send us an email and ask about specifics for your project, or call the Blue Ox at (800) 248-4259

(Far Left) Eric poses behind a newly completed wood spandrel with sunbursts, rosettes, and custom turnings. (Near Left) Blue Ox built custom doors and gingerbread for this San Francisco renovation.

A custom wood spandrel on the shop floor and custom gingerbread on a home in San Francisco

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