Knock Wood

Beloved Virginia-Highland shop marks 40th anniversary

By Grace Huseth

Shops and boutiques in Virginia-Highland have come and gone over the years, but one has seen enduring prosperity. Highland Woodworking has stood strong on North Highland Avenue for nearly 40 years by staying true to their niche industry.

The shop, originally known as Highland Hardware, was created by husband and wife team Chris and Sharon Bagby in 1978. The hardware store evolved over the years to become the go-to spot for dedicated woodworkers. The store moved to its current location on North Highland in 1984 and had expanded to more than 8,000 square feet by 1995. In 2006, the local hardware store with a woodworking obsession officially became Highland Woodworking to reflect the Bagby’s dedication to the art of working with wood.

In such a specialized industry, Highland Woodworking does generate most of its business from website and catalog sales. However, cyber shopping will never be able to compare to the in-shop experience.

“When customers from our website happen to be in Atlanta, this is a star attraction for them. The moment they walk in, it’s a woodworking toy store,” said Molly Bagby, marketing manager.

Molly Bagby, daughter of the store’s founders, grew up at Highland Woodworking. She is now editor of Wood News Online and Highland Woodturner where she shares wood-making projects and stories. Through open submission, anyone can submit a woodworking story for publication. Bagby then rewards the featured woodworker with not only fame, but also store credit to Highland Woodworking and its many classes.

The most popular woodworking class is a two-day basic woodworking class in which participants build a box. The box may be small, and yet the process of making the keepsake teaches all the basics in both hand and power tools while providing a taste of the mindset of a woodworker.

“Woodworking takes a lot of patience,” Bagby said. “A big part of it, especially with hand tool woodworking, is having sharp tools. They teach how to sharpen tools and that