Hershel House, the Grandfather of the artistic Flintlock rifle building and the “Woodbury School” left this world this afternoon, January 10, 2024. He was 82.

 
Good of you op to post this. Thank you.

I never had the pleasure of meeting him, but I have seen his work.  RIP

RIP Sir.


Not many people even know about him in butler county.

RIP.......a master at his craft.

He once loaned me a book on the history of Butler County.  


Woodbury School Master Gunmaker and former marine Hershel House, 82, was largely self taught and studied longrifles of all makes but his favorite was the iron mounted Southern rifle. He took it to another level and added engraving, dual patchboxes and other embellishments (depending on what the customer wanted). Besides teaching his brothers Frank and John, he was a regular instructor at the NMLRA Summer Gunbuilder's Workshop hosted by Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green. His class though was taught at his home where you got your own forge and anvil to hammer out your trigger guard and buttplate. Hundreds of students learned from him and built their own rifles (or started them). Sometimes he was assisted by his brothers and sometimes he taught alone. They were always well attended and Hershel also fed his students. There was always a big get together near the end of the class for all students whether they were enrolled in his course or another workshop (typically lockmaking, relief carving, engraving, building one type of rifle or another, brass casting, quillwork taught by Lally House, horn making). That get together featured a BBQ prepared by the House family and by the ladies of the area. It was the shindig to attend.

I took Hershel's class over a decade ago and it was my first experience in forging iron mounts.  Most of his rifles had the later Federal Period crescent shaped buttplate but I did an earlier, wider military pattern one (easier to mount and shoot).  He also taught me to pour a pewter nose on my rifle (later repeated at Trinidad College) and asked me to write an article about his class which I did. He enjoyed my books (sharpshooting and sniping) and once had an extensive library that was lost when his workshop burned. He rebuilt the workshop (actually two adjoining log cabins that shared a breezeway) and his library. Hershel played the role of a hillbilly but was actually sophisticated and had a huge knowledge basis to draw from. Additionally he had many antique tools that he had collected along the way. He is survived by his daughter, his brothers John and Frank and his sister-in-laws and his beloved pack o' dogs. I don't think he named his last dogs but called them by their color.  His daughter lived with him so I hope she cares for the dogs.

RIP Hershel.

Perhaps it's more than strange to say that you miss someone you never met. I never met Hershel, but always hoped that I might have that pleasure. I spent so many hours watching his videos, that I feel almost as if I had known him. His videos taught me how to blacksmith, and I used his book and VHS tape to guide me in building a flinter styled as close as my clumsy hands could manage to his Woodbury school. It was suggested on another board that those who wished to honor Hershel should go out today and fire a single shot from their ML rifle in his honor. I had been planning to go shoot my flinter, and today just happened to be the first opportunity.

IMG_2372 by Jim QRB, on Flickr

I fired a shot, and dang if I couldn't hear Hershel's voice in my ear. "What's the matter, no more powder in that horn?" So I prowled up and down the "holler" where my range is, picking out improvised targets. I used a knife I have that Hershel made. It has a ball starter on the end of the antler handle, and is a darn handy tool. Good fun on a chilly morning.

IMG_2374 by Jim QRB, on Flickr

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Hershel, you are missed...

Here's my Hershel knife and a quilled sheath from Lally House.

Having been involved with the Black Powder community since the mod 1980s, and living 2 counties away from Woodbury I am fortunate to have met and hung out with all the House brothers over the years, but if you are into the BP culture you didn't really have to meet Hershel in person to feel his influence, it is everywhere Flintlock shooters gathered.

When I first started dabbling in flintlock rifle building a friend joked “Everybody wants to be Hershel House”....we all knew there was only one Hershel.

Wow! Wonderful quill work!

I have seen a few of her items offered. They always look amazing.

Lally teaches during the NMLRA Summer Gunbuilder's Workshop at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, KY.  

https://www.nmlra.org/nmlra-gunsmithing-seminar

(Mod - I have no pecuniary interest in the workshop and all proceeds goes to the NMLRA; so don't ban me bro).