The Woodshop Legacy
In the small town of Aledo, Illinois, Landrace Woodshop occupies a building that has long stood in service to the city — a small but enduring structure first erected in 1889 as the pump house for Aledo’s very first water tower. Over the decades, it became part of the municipal fabric, later housing the city’s gas department, before closing its doors in 2019.
After this, the building was at risk of being torn down and turned into a vacant lot. Thankfully, in 2021, it was purchased with a vision not to erase the past, but to work with it — honoring its history while giving it new life. After a careful restoration in 2022, the space was transformed into Landrace Woodshop, a place where craftsmanship and heritage go hand in hand.
Its walls, built to house water pumps and boilers, now support a quieter but no less meaningful form of service. Where there was once the tick of meters and the rush of boots, there is now the sound of planers and saws — the sound of shaping wood into furniture meant to last generations.
Landrace (noun). land.race:
A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation from other populations of the species.
An ode to the founder’s sourjourner’s past through the mountains of Colorado and the plains of Arizona, the name “Landrace” was chosen for two reasons. One, because the isolation of the Rockies adapted and refined him and his craft, and two, because, like many things at Landrace Woodshop, it honors the legacy of his forefathers.
Twenty five miles south of Aledo lies Monmouth, IL, the home of CDF Farm, a local farm that raised Landrace Pigs. A Landrace is a maternal breed of swine, primarily white, known for its long body, excellent mothering abilities and generally docile nature. Originating in Denmark, Landraces were later imported to the United States in the 1930’s. In the YEAR, CDF Farms began their work with this breed, producing them for meat and show. Jeremiah Clark’s great-grandfather was the founder.
Jeremiah Clark, Owner & Founder
About the Founder
Jeremiah Clark began his journey into woodworking in 2014 as an apprentice at a custom furniture shop in the hills of the Colorado mountains. It was here that he learned the fundamentals of working with wood and various joinery techniques and his passion began. He soon cultivated a love for the creative process of taking raw materials and crafting them into functional pieces.
This passion led him to found Landrace Woodshop in 2021 with a goal of creating custom wooden pieces that combine the beauty of natural materials with the art of traditional craftsmanship.
As Landrace Woodshop has grown, and the families who work in it, we have grown to love and pursue the beauty of heirloom quality pieces that can be passed down through the generations. Here at Landrace Woodshop, we believe that your furniture, especially yur dining room table, tells the story of fellowship, laughter and a life well lived.
Jeremiah is married to his wife, Rebecca, and together they reside in Aledo, IL with their two children.
Generational Foundations
Built on the legacy of artistry and the devotion to public service, Clark has based his business on foundational principles taught to him by his father, Michael Clark. Michael Clark was a well known sign artist and founded and owned his own sign business, Clark Signs. Many of his signs, logos and lettering jobs dot the countryside and towns in Mercer County and surrounding areas. His true passion was painting with the “Wall Dogs”, a group of painters that painted life-size murals for cities around the world. Michael also served as a volunteer fire fighter for Aledo for over thirty years and was a devoted community member, serving in the local church and donating close to 20 gallons of blood throughout his life. He was a devoted husband, father and Papa to his grandchildren. It is these principals that Landrace Woodshop was founded on. The wood shop, located just two doors down from Michael’s old shop, shows signs of history all throughout and honors Michael’s undoubted role in its foundation.
Our Services
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Furniture
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Custom
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