The Wharton Esherick Studio / Museum
A master woodworker’s creations, housed in his unique studio
The Experience
Nestled in the woods near Valley Forge, the Wharton Esherick Museum is truly a hidden treasure. Esherick, called “the Dean of American Craftsmen,” built his studio/home himself in an organic, flowing style–even the roofline is curved–over a span of forty years.
He described the building as his autobiography, and walking through its unusual spaces, filled with his innovative furniture and pared-down sculptures in wood, you feel you’ve met a remarkable man. The massive, free-form spiral oak staircase, the sinuous built-in dining table, moveable hanging lamps and numerous other striking elements, each reveal the freshness of his imagination.
History
Trained as a painter, the Philadelphia-born Esherick (1887-1970) found his bliss working with wood and blazed a trail for the new generation of craft artists that followed. Family and friends have preserved this unique place, now a National Historic Landmark. Work by other artists in wood can be seen in the gift shop, along with reproductions of Esherick’s woodcuts, and books and related publications.