Admired for their beauty and craftsmanship, wood elements such as doors, windows, moldings, shutters and other architectural details — collectively known as millwork — add ornamentation and function to historic homes and buildings. Without proper maintenance these elements deteriorate and require repair or replacement over time.

For more than 30 years, Gary Cernoch has been repairing and replicating this woodwork in historic Texas buildings using traditional tools and machinery. Some projects he has worked on over the years include the 1889 Sealy Mansion in Galveston, the 1925 Simon Theater in Brenham, and The Heritage Society's own c. 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage. For this Building Arts Lecture, Cernoch will provide an overview of the production of wood millwork found in many of Houston's historic buildings and techniques used to preserve and replicate them.