By Jalynn Bugaj
Customer Relations & Communications intern
A beech tree from the University of Illinois President’s House was given a new purpose after it had to be cut down in 2022. The tree’s significance was not just botanical; it had witnessed decades of life at the house.
When Andrew Burnett, F&S mill foreperson, first met with Roberta Johnson Killeen, wife of President Tim Killeen, and Dena Bagger, senior director of Special Events at the University of Illinois System, they were determined to give the tree a meaningful new role.
“This tree is dying, and we want to do something with it. We’re open to any ideas,” explained Burnett. Although the beech tree’s removal was inevitable and it had to come down, the group knew the lumber could be repurposed for something new.
Their second meeting involved Burnett touring the house to identify tables or items of interest for the Killeen family, which inspired his subsequent designs.



Burnett designed some of the furniture to complement the base of the home’s crown molding. “That’s the kind of stuff I like to do, to see what the surroundings are and try to tie that in,” said Burnett.
After the arborists cut down the beech tree, it had to dry for sixty days inside of a kiln. A kiln is a furnace or oven designed for drying wood that results in better quality dried lumber.
There used to be a sawmill located on campus, but since it was no longer available, Burnett needed to find an alternative. He reached out to the CU Wood Shop, which has a Wood-Mizer Sawmill—a large bandsaw used for slicing logs.


Burnett is also collaborating with a sustainability committee to explore the possibility of purchasing a sawmill and kiln for the campus, enabling them to process their own trees.
In January 2023, the mill received the lumber from CU Wood Shop, but the crafting process didn’t begin until later in the fall. Scott Schmidt, mill worker, was the one who created the pieces.
Burnett explains that it was a challenging task to craft the lumber. “Beech is a difficult wood to work with. When it dries, it just twists. So, there wasn’t a whole lot of great flat stock.” said Burnett. “We had to cut the lumber into little pieces and joint that, then glue it together to be able to get what we wanted.”
Schmidt stated that he has not previously used beech wood for crafting furniture. “Beech is never used for furniture; it is very hard to work with. It is probably one of the hardest American woods,” he explained. “Because of that, it is often chosen for tool handles such as chisels or screwdrivers—once you shape it, it’s perfect for that purpose.”


The glass shop and the sign shop were also involved in the furniture-making process. Two of the tables were designed to have a glass top. The sign shop created a pattern for Schmidt to use for embedding the glass. The glass shop manufactured the glass tops for the tables.
Additionally, the sheet metal shop designed a stainless-steel lining to fit inside a crafted wooden vase, protecting the wood from potential damage due to flowers or water over time.
After the furniture was built, it was ready to be stained. Once a stain was chosen, the paint shop applied it to the pieces.
The lumber from the beech tree was able to create two benches, one oval coffee table, one oval end table, one vase, forty-five charcuterie boards, one large sofa table, three small sofa tables, one outdoor element, and one dining room table. It took Schmidt about six weeks to craft all of the pieces.



The charcuterie boards were used as gifts for the trustees. The Killeens requested that the University of Illinois seal be laser-engraved onto the boards. To fulfill this request, Burnett purchased an engraver for that purpose. “Now that we have it, we’ve been able to use it for other projects too,” Burnett said excitedly.
As the project ends, Burnett, Schmidt, and the Killeens are satisfied with both the design and craftsmanship of the finished products. “The best part of my job is going out to meet with customers and designing something for them,” said Burnett.
F&S also partnered with Kyle Cheek, a research lab supervisor with the Sidney Lu Mechanical Engineering Building machine shop; he used a waterjet, which can make extremely precise cuts to make an intricate design, which then went into another table produced with the beech wood.

“This is a great and valuable opportunity that has been given because I think the table is going to turn out amazing when finished,” Cheek said.
From sofa tables to charcuterie boards, each newly crafted piece embraces sustainability and innovation. The items made from the beloved beech tree not only showcase its natural beauty but also hold a piece of the University’s history.