5 Ancient Wood Craft Marvels That Teach Us About Building for the Future

When we think of ancient buildings, stone often steals the spotlight, but wood craft has preserved some of history’s true marvels.

These ancient buildings use wood craft as more than decoration, they are engineering genius, artistry, and durability woven together. From split oak trunks to massive timber beams, these ancient structures showcase techniques that inspire the modern reclaimed wood movement and show why people will always use wood for building.

At Manomin Resawn Timbers, we believe the same legacy can live on in your home. By choosing reclaimed flooring, rustic mantels, handcrafted box beams, or custom paneling, you’re tapping into a tradition of wood craft that has defined architecture for centuries. Schedule a free consultation today with Manomin to find out exactly how to take these lessons into your home.

5 Wooden Structures That Defied Time

Hōryū-ji Temple, Japan (607 CE)

The Hōryū-ji Temple is often cited as the oldest wooden building in the world, with sections dating back to the year 607. It has withstood over a millennium of testing by Mother Nature and Father Time. Its survival comes down to the genius of Japanese joinery—a wood craft that relied on precision cuts, interlocking joints, and massive structural timbers instead of nails.

Did you know? The Hōryū-ji Temple was built to enshrine relics of the Buddha and is credited with helping to popularize Buddhism in Japan. It’s said to hold the remains of the Buddha below the Pagoda!

The same timbers that have held the pagoda together for 1,400 years echo the role that box beams play in modern design. Antique elm beams can bring that same sense of strength and stability into your home. Paired with custom mantels or paneling, you can recreate the warmth and endurance that defines one of history’s greatest ancient structures.

Pandit, Viki. Five-storied Pagoda. 26 June 2016. Ikaruga, Nara.

 

Nanchan Temple, China (782 CE)

Built in the Tang Dynasty, the Nanchan Temple’s Great Buddha Hall is a masterpiece of wood craft. Massive wooden columns and beams, still original from the 8th century, support its elegant framework. The temple’s survival is a living lesson in how ancient builders selected timbers with care, crafting them into load-bearing structures that could last centuries, true proof that people have always known why you should use wood for building.

Did you know? Although there’s a small fee to enter the Great Buddha Hall, the rest of the Temple is free to explore and is a very popular spot for urban photography in the city of Wuxi (a city with a population of almost 8 million!)

When you walk into Nanchan Temple, the first thing you notice is how the exposed beams and structured timbers give the hall its sense of scale.

Today, you can bring that same architectural grandeur into your own space with reclaimed timbers, box beams, or custom flooring. Each Elm or White Oak plank carries a history of its own, making your living room feel just as timeless as this ancient hall.

Photo via: Zeus1234, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

 

Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, China (1056 CE)

At over 220 feet tall, the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda is not only the tallest all-wood pagoda in the world—it’s one of the most impressive feats of wood crafts ever achieved. Built in 1056, it has withstood lightning strikes, earthquakes, and countless storms. Although there have been a few renovations, the structure still retains much of its original timber framework.

Did you know? The structure was built during the war by the Liao dynasty to pray for peace, and it was also made without using a single nail in its construction!

The pagoda’s structural brilliance comes from the way its beams and interlocking timbers distribute weight, a concept still vital in architecture today.

When you think about reclaimed paneling or custom wood pieces, you’re drawing on the same principle: wood chosen and crafted with intention will last generations. Imagine a reclaimed mantel of Douglas fir anchoring your living room the same way the pagoda’s beams anchor its soaring form. That’s the ageless power of wood craft.

 

Photo via: CHOS1N from Xiaohongshu

 

Greensted Church, England (~1050 CE)

Moving away from Asia, tucked away in the English countryside, Greensted Church is one of Europe’s oldest surviving wooden churches. Its nave walls are made of split oak tree trunks, halved and placed vertically like rustic planks. Walk inside, and you're stepping directly into the ancient structures of medieval carpenters who relied on oak’s natural durability and the use of wood for building.

Did you know? The church features work done throughout centuries by both the Anglo-Saxons and Normans, making it a true tour of English history.

That same oak tradition is alive and well today at Manomin Resawn Timbers. Our reclaimed Wormy Chestnut flooring, rustic Skip Oak paneling, and hand-crafted mantels carry the same character found in Greensted’s walls. The church reminds us that oak doesn’t just last centuries—it grows more beautiful with age.

Adding reclaimed oak flooring or custom beams to your home ties you to a legacy of wood crafts that has already stood the test of time.

Photo via: Andy Scott via Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

 

Bongjeongsa Temple, Korea

The Bongjeongsa Temple complex is home to the oldest surviving wooden hall in Korea. Built centuries ago, its enduring timbers reveal the sophistication of Korean wood crafts, where artisans blended strength and artistry into sacred architecture.

Did you know? There is still some debate on the builder of the temple. Originally thought to be the Buddhist Monk Usiang, some documents pointed to one of his disciples being the true constructor. However, many of the temple’s documents were destroyed during the Korean War, so we may never know.

Step into Bongjeongsa and you’ll see how exposed beams and natural timbers define its atmosphere. The same design philosophy can be applied in your home with reclaimed box beams or weathered gray Barnwood paneling from Manomin.

Whether you’re adding a mantel to your fireplace or installing reclaimed flooring, you’re not just decorating, you’re continuing a tradition of wood craft that shaped some of Asia’s most iconic ancient buildings.

Photo via Unesco World Heritage Sites

From Ancient Structures to Your Living Room: Manomin Resawn Timbers

When you choose reclaimed wood for building, you’re not only investing in sustainable design, you’re choosing materials that provide character and strength that new lumber simply can’t replicate.

 

So whether you’re inspired by the oldest structure in the world or just want a mantel that feels like it’s been part of your family forever, reclaimed wood is your bridge between the ancient and the modern.

 

With Manomin Resawn Timbers, your reclaimed wood choices are part of the same story. Because when it comes to wood, true craftsmanship never goes out of style.

 

Our collection includes timeless species like White Oak, Elm, Wormy Chestnut, Antique Ash, Douglas Fir, and Gray Barnwood, each carefully resawn and repurposed. Whether you’re envisioning rustic flooring, modern wall paneling, statement mantels, bold box beams, or fully custom designs, Manomin provides the materials to make your home just as unwaveringly beautiful as the world’s ancient buildings.

 

Because great wood crafts don’t just belong to the past, they belong in your home, today. So, request a quote, visit our showroom, or just contact us today to get started!