HENRY WAS MY GRANDFATHER.
THIS WAS ONE OF HIS MANY HAMMERS. HE HAD JUST REPLACED THE HANDLE—AS HE HAD COUNTLESS TIMES BEFORE—WHEN HE PASSED AWAY IN 1982.

HENRY SPURGEON HUDSON WAS A CARPENTER, FARMER, AND STONE MASON. THAT’S US IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.

HE WAS BORN IN 1912 IN RURAL NORTH CAROLINA. MY GRANDFATHER WASN’T ALIVE WHEN WE STARTED HENRYBUILT, BUT WITHOUT HIM THE COMPANY NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

I GREW UP IN THE SAME FARMHOUSE HENRY GREW UP IN, SLEEPING IN THE SAME ROOM HE DID.

WHEN I TURNED 11, I STARTED WORKING WITH HIM DURING THE SUMMERS.

WE REMODELED THAT FARMHOUSE. WE MADE CABINETS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. SOME DAYS WE RAN FENCE, SOME DAYS WE DID FRAMING, SOME DAYS WE CLEARED TREES.

HE WAS QUITE GOOD IN THE KITCHEN. NOT AS GOOD AS MY GRANDMOTHER CLARA, BUT HE WAS A BETTER EATER.

THE KITCHEN WAS WHERE EVERYTHING GOOD CAME TOGETHER. THE FOOD FROM THE LAND, THE FAMILY, THE PLACE THEY MADE TO SHARE THOSE THINGS.

EVERY DAY WORKING WITH HIM WAS FULL THROTTLE, BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED WORKING AND WAS SO GOOD AT IT, IT WAS EXCITING. HE WAS A VIRTUOSO OF HIS PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT—NOT IN A FANCY WAY; HE JUST REALLY KNEW HOW TO LIVE IN IT.

AND HE USED THAT TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. ALL THE WORK I DID WITH HIM WAS AFTER HE WAS ‘RETIRED’—MOST OF IT WAS VOLUNTEER.

WHEN I TURNED 16 HENRY ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO DO FOR A LIVING. MY GRANDFATHER WAS THE PERSON I ADMIRED MOST, SO I SAID, ‘I WANT TO DO WHAT YOU DO.’

HE SAID, ‘WELL, I DON’T THINK YOU WANT TO DO THAT—YOU’LL BE DOING SOMETHING WITH A SUIT ON, THINKING ABOUT THINGS WITH YOUR HEAD.’

IN 1936 HENRY EARNED A GRAND TOTAL OF 75 DOLLARS. BUT IN THAT SAME YEAR, WHEN HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN IN ARCHITECTURE SCHOOL, HE BUILT HIS OWN HOUSE FROM STONES FOUND ON THE PROPERTY. That's my grandmother Clara, perhaps the best chef that ever lived.