Talented tradespeople make preservation physically possible. Today’s guest is Amy McAuley, the preservation joiner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, where she uses her hands and hand powered tools to repair, restore and preserve one of America’s most historic homes.

About Our Guest

Amy McAuley is currently the Preservation Joiner at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. From 2002 until taking the position at Mount Vernon in 2019 she was the owner of Oculus Fine Carpentry based in Portland, Oregon.  It was through her work as Oculus Fine Carpentry where she specialized in the conservation and construction of 18^th and 19^thcentury windows and doors. Some notable projects include George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia, Heceta Head Lighthouse in Oregon, and Fort Simcoe in Washington State. Amy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Oregon and one year of post baccalaureate work in Architecture at Portland State University. She is a member of numerous organizations including as Expert member of the ICOMOS International Wood Committee, a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and a member of American Institute for Conservation.  In her free time Amy is busy restoring a house in Virginia for Fairfax County’s Resident Curator Program.