John Haltom

I grew up in Mississippi- the middle of three brothers and an 8th generation Mississippian. Our family has long had ties to the woods: my grandfather owned a lumber mill in the small town of Roxie Mississippi, and he built his home from wood produced at his mill. My great-grandfather also owned a mill.  

At the age of seven I began teaching myself how to hand craft solid wood longbows, and, at the age of sixteen I was admitted as the youngest ever member of the Mississippi craftsmen's guild. I am now a lifelong member. 

After working for the US forest service in Colorado and Montana during college, I moved to Seattle, WA and worked as a carpenter and a craftsman. 

While working in Seattle I met and married my wife, Katey. Once married our hearts warmed to the idea of moving south and opening a small business doing what I love...building heirloom furniture from local trees otherwise relegated as firewood or, even worse, destined for a landfill. Oxford, Mississippi was a natural fit for Katey and me and upon moving the vision started to become a reality. Roxie Woodworks was born. 

Today, I look forward to work. Creativity and hard, physical work drive me, and creative ideas challenge me. Each piece is a natural work of art, and my job is to reveal that art through the skills of my own hand. 

...John Haltom, Dec. 2015