The crisp scent of fall fills the air in Jefferson. But inside this main street shop, sawdust here at RVP 1875 *** time traveler left behind by the past, it'd be *** cool place to visit. I'd love to spend *** week or two. I've got questions and an artist who talks with his hands doing it and talking about it and telling the history of it. And just as much as he works with them, Robbie Peterson started his career as the furniture maker at Living History farm before opening his own shop in Story City. Later moving it to his hometown. We came up and looked at this building which had been empty for years and I was just like, wait *** minute, this is everything I'd ever need. And if I'm gonna give tourism to *** town, yeah, this town raised and educated me, maybe I can give back much of the furniture. From 1875 was designed with *** dual purpose and Peterson's shop doubles as *** history lesson. We've made this weird combination of *** working uh furniture shop and *** museum since he moved to Jefferson. Peterson has hosted hundreds of tours in his world leading historical furniture shop. But it just took one more step of research to figure out what happened to 10,000 chimney cupboards. 70 pieces *** year may not seem like *** lot stronger than fancy. But when second place is only turning out, 15 RVP is the clear front runner. Every strip of wood shaved off by one of these 700 planes in his collection. So any high coins, every tool historically accurate to the period. Here we are uh almost 1500 pieces of furniture. Later. Some folks might take one look at Robbie Peterson and call him *** pioneer I was born with, with *** love of labor. And *** challenge is, is awesome for me. But he'd tell you he's just *** student trying to preserve his craft mastering. And I'm never gonna know if that's true or not unless I devote my entire life to it all day, every day for until my body can't do it anymore. It may not be the easy way. You gotta want it. You gotta look at that pile and go. Yes, here I go. I'm going, you know, and I'm gonna get it, but it's the way this old soul prefers it. Challenges are ever present when you're creating masterpieces like these without glues and screws. So when that chunk of wood goes in there, it creates *** lock, that wide piece can't get out the narrow hole. Now creating *** lock, something's got to give as good as that is. Uh, it still has *** weak direction. That's the problem. That's why Peterson practices triple joinery. The process of continually hammering each dovetail until the leaves fall into place. The worst thing that could happen next year is if this felt easy and, and I did half as many orders and made twice as much money that, that, that would not be what would drive me.
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Your Email Address Privacy Notice Step through the front doors of the local furniture shop in Jefferson, Iowa, and prepare for a time travel trip 150 years in the making. See the story in the video aboveRobby Pedersen is the woodworker who is more comfortable in pioneer clothing than a pair of jeans. Pedersen's store, RVP 1875, only uses the tools that existed in its namesake year. "We've made this weird combination of a working furniture shop and a museum," he said.Pedersen gives guided tours to visitors, who get to see every step of the process — and the tools he uses to turn raw materials into fine furniture.He says RVP 1875 is the world's historic furniture leader, turning out 70 pieces a year. The closest runner-up he's been able to find only makes 15 in the same timeframe. Everything he creates — tables, chairs, cabinets, bed frames, and more — is made by hand and historically accurate to the period. "I was born with a love of labor, and challenge is awesome for me," he said. "The worst thing that could happen next year is if this felt easy, and I did half as many orders and made twice as much money, that would not be what would drive me."
Step through the front doors of the local furniture shop in Jefferson, Iowa, and prepare for a time travel trip 150 years in the making.
See the story in the video above
Robby Pedersen is the woodworker who is more comfortable in pioneer clothing than a pair of jeans.
Pedersen's store, RVP 1875, only uses the tools that existed in its namesake year.
"We've made this weird combination of a working furniture shop and a museum," he said.
Pedersen gives guided tours to visitors, who get to see every step of the process — and the tools he uses to turn raw materials into fine furniture.
He says RVP 1875 is the world's historic furniture leader, turning out 70 pieces a year. The closest runner-up he's been able to find only makes 15 in the same timeframe.
Everything he creates — tables, chairs, cabinets, bed frames, and more — is made by hand and historically accurate to the period.
"I was born with a love of labor, and challenge is awesome for me," he said. "The worst thing that could happen next year is if this felt easy, and I did half as many orders and made twice as much money, that would not be what would drive me."
