PMA Designer Offers Talents to Keep Historic Office In Shape

PMA Architectural Designer John “Jay” Scruggs has a knack for woodworking, so when the opportunity to use his talent on a project at work came up, he jumped on it. The nearly century-old building that houses the firm needed its main entry doorframe replaced and Jay was excited to help. By hand-crafting a new doorframe, he was able to create his own custom version of the traditional one.

“I offset the backband to create a channel in the casing to give it a shadow line. The casing is thicker than average at 1 ½” to balance with our entry door and match the oversized ash slabs used in the adjacent entry lobby staircase that leads to a new mezzanine level the firm added when the building was renovated to create the studio. The shadow line helps the larger members to look crisp and not overly plain since there is not any ornamentation,” explained Jay.

Owners Jeff and Katie Stodghill took on the project of transforming Hilton Village’s former upscale men’s clothing store building into a new home for their growing firm, in part, to give back to the Hilton community. Hilton Village is a historic development created in the early 1900s as a solution to the housing shortage for workers at nearby Newport News Shipbuilding. PMA Architecture has been based in Hilton since the 1970s. Long-time Hilton residents, Jeff and Katie live just around the corner.

“Jeff and Katie did so much work to make our office what it is, and the door frame was one of those small things I wanted to help with,” Jay said. “It was a chance to put a lot of things I’d read and learned about woodworking into practice, processing rough cut lumber into the necessary parts and pieces.”

Jay has a woodworking shop of his own in the detached garage at his home where he has completed many projects like the PMA doorframe. “I live in a house that’s over a hundred years old, too, so I am used to working on projects like this. My wife and I purchased it in 2014, but the house was owned by my great grandparents from 1929 until 1992, so taking care of this old house takes on additional meaning for me.”

PMA led the Hilton Village Commercial Area Master Plan several years ago and has supported many nearby businesses, churches, and homeowners in executing architectural projects that help maintain the special character and vitality of the Hilton Village area.

The new doorframe gives a finished, sophisticated look to match the office interior.

Jay's home workshop in historic Hilton Village where he cuts, sands, and finishes woodworking pieces.