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Rare wood that sat in storage for 100 years in Madison will be used to fix damage from Capitol riots
April 27, 2021 12:26 PM Jamie Perez
Updated:
MADISON, Wis. Robert “Bob” Ross is one of few people who would know where to find thousands of pounds of rare high-quality wood. As the acting assistant director of research with Madison’s Forest Products Laboratory (FPL), he knew just what to do when the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) called him asking for some.
“It’s very beautiful wood and when you put a finish on it, it’s just going to be absolutely gorgeous,” Ross said.
This wood sat in storage for 100 years. Now it’s being used to fix Capitol riot damage
Chris Cioffi
CQ-Roll Call (TNS)
WASHINGTON Only a few people on Earth know where to find a stash of century-old rare mahogany that can be used to repair priceless furnishings damaged on Jan. 6 by a pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol.
Robert “Bob” Ross is one of those people.
The acting assistant director of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, knew the exact location of a 3,000-pound stack of the wood that was collecting dust. The 78 mahogany boards, likely brought to the Badger State as part of research into airplane propeller materials during WWI, sat in a basement storage stall for a century waiting for a purpose.
This wood sat in storage for 100 years
Chris Cioffi - Roll Call
Architects of the Capitol staff hold rare century-old mahogany obtained from a U.S. Forest Service lab storage locker in Wisconsin. This historic mahogany lumber, received from USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory, will be used to replace U.S. Capitol doors and other wood details damaged during the January 2021 breach.
This historic mahogany lumber, received from USDA Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory, will be used to replace U.S. Capitol doors and other wood details damaged during the January 2021 breach.
WASHINGTON Only a few people on Earth know where to find a stash of century-old rare mahogany that can be used to repair priceless furnishings damaged on Jan. 6 by a pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol.