Chestnut Hill Academy issued the following announcement on June 16.
Academy has a tradition of giving a book (to those who are moving on) and leaving a book in the SCH library in their honor. Because of Steve's enormous impact on this community (read more about his tenure here), Upper School teachers, Josh Mattingly (History) and Dan Brewer (woodworking) thought a book wouldn't quite cut it. So they teamed up for a special gift: an SCH guitar for Druggan to take with him as he heads to Dubai. Dan helped source the wood and Josh, a master in lutherie, lovingly constructed the stunner in the Mattingly home workshop.
This one-of-a-kind guitar was designed in the style of a Martin 00, a model that went into production in 1898—the same year that CHA occupied the Inn for the first time. It was built almost exclusively from reclaimed wood that was sourced from broken or discarded furniture in the abandoned wing of the Inn, and from various corners of campus.
Steve, enjoy the music and think of us in Philadelphia.
RECLAIMED WOOD:
- Back and sides: Quarter-sawn White Oak from a bench seat.
- Top/internal braces: Quarter-sawn Douglas Fir from a home renovation in Chestnut Hill (donated by a parent).
- Binding and end wedge: Cherry from an old desk.
- Neck: Quarter-sawn White Oak from a bench seat (same as the back and sides) AND Maple from the gym floor.
- Bridge pad (inside the guitar): Maple from the old lower school building.
- Pickguard: Chestnut from a kneeler that used to be in the chapel.
- Rosette (ring around the sound hole): Quarter-sawn White Oak from the seat of an old campus bench.
- Neck block (inside the guitar): Honduran Mahogany from the Martin factory in Nazareth, PA.
- Fingerboard and bridge: Macassar Ebony - Grown, harvested, and exported from Indonesia.
- SCH Logo detail on head: Pearl inlay that reminded Josh and Dan of Dubai.
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