Norm Abram | |
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 Abram in 2019 | |
| Born | October 3, 1949 Woonsocket, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| Spouses | Laura Cone (div. 1996)Elise Hauenstein (m. 1999) |
| Website | www |
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Norm Abram (born October 3, 1949) [1] is an American carpenter, writer, and television host best known for his work on the PBS television programs This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop . [2] He is a master carpenter and has published several books and articles about the craft.
Abram was born in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, [3] and raised in Milford, Massachusetts, where he attended high school. [4] [5] [6] His father was a carpenter, who taught his son many of his practical skills. [7] Norm first worked on a client's site at the age of 9, helping his father install hardwood floors. [8] He worked with his father during summer vacations in high school and college. [8]
Abram initially studied mechanical engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, [6] [7] [9] where he became a brother of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity. [7] He found theoretical engineering courses to be uninteresting, [7] [9] and switched to studying business administration. [6] [9] He realized that he enjoyed practical hands-on work, and left UMass just short of finishing a degree. [7] [9]
After leaving college, Abram worked for three years for a multimillion-dollar New England–based construction firm, [6] and was rapidly promoted to a position as a site supervisor. [7] In 1976, Abram went into business for himself, founding the general contracting firm Integrated Structures Inc. and operating it until 1989. [6] His first major independent project was building a general store on Nantucket. [7]
In 1979, Norm Abram took a construction job building a small barn/garage/toolshed/workshop in the backyard of television producer Russell Morash, [10] who had produced Julia Child's popular cooking program The French Chef for WGBH-TV in Boston. Impressed by Abram's small scrap pile [6] and efficient work habits, Morash invited Abram to help with the renovation of a rundown Victorian house in Dorchester. A WGBH camera crew recorded the process for the first This Old House project, hosted by Bob Vila. Morash then asked Abram to appear as a regular on This Old House, and Abram has become a fixture on the show ever since.
On May 19, 2022, it was announced that after 43 years, Abram would retire from the show. A one-hour special titled The House that Norm Built aired online and on PBS stations on October 3, 2022, surveying his career with the program. [11] [12]
In 1988, Morash planned to launch a spinoff of This Old House called The New Yankee Workshop , featuring Abram. They needed a convenient place to videotape, and used the shop in the small building that Abram built in 1979 in Morash's backyard. [10] The shop's layout and equipment were expanded and adapted to match Abram's preferences, in a space measuring 36 by 26 feet (11.0 by 7.9 m). [13] [14] The New Yankee Workshop was first aired in 1989 with Abram as the host. [4] The program showcased furniture or other projects and emphasized classic, elegant designs, made using a combination of simple handtools and newer power tools and equipment. [4] The show aired for 21 seasons on PBS, then was suspended indefinitely as Abram decided to focus on other projects. [10] [15] [16]
Abram is on the board of trustees of Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. [6] He delivered the 2001 commencement speech at the North Bennet Street School in Boston, which is renowned for its commitment to teaching craftsmanship. [6] He has also contributed to efforts to train younger students in the building trades, such as the Generation NEXT apprenticeship program. [10]
Abram also voiced himself in the Freakazoid! episode "Normadeus", [3] where he was kidnapped by the villainous Lobe and forced to make a special wooden weapon for him. He also appeared on Between the Lions and twice on Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? ; and starred in a series of Foot Locker commercials titled "House of Hoops". Abram appeared on Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman in the episode "This Old... Lemonade Stand". He also appeared in the 2010 Ace of Cakes episode "Indy, Ice and Improv".
Norm Abram is well known for his soft-spoken, calm manner of explaining precise, efficient woodworking techniques. He is usually seen wearing a plaid shirt, a style that has become his trademark. [17] [18] [10] He begins his shows with a reminder about personal safety, specifically highlighting the importance of wearing safety glasses. [19]
Abram emphasizes the importance of focusing attention when performing dangerous operations, such as cutting with a power saw. He avoids working when rushed, tired, distracted, or after drinking even small amounts of alcohol. He advises against misusing tools or failing to sharpen them properly. He is not afraid to talk to himself in the shop, reviewing carefully the next steps before he undertakes them. [16]
The American Academy of Ophthalmology awarded Norm Abram its EyeSmart Distinguished Service Award on April 23, 2009. The award was presented for "his steadfast commitment to safety and the prevention of eye injuries". [20] [21]
In 2018 Abram was selected for the Ken Burns Lifetime Achievement Award by the filmmaker who, with Old Sturbridge Village, gives the award to "individual[s] who [have] made a significant impact on the arts through a project that is relevant to the history Old Sturbridge Village works to preserve". [22]
On June 18, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored Norm along with “This Old House” with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 49th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards.
Norm Abram has lived with his wife, Elise (a skilled potter), [16] in a custom modified-classic two-story Colonial, timber-framed home that he built in Carlisle, Massachusetts, with the assistance of his father and other professionals. [23] He wrote his book Norm Abram's New House (1995) based on his experiences planning and building the house. [24]
More recently, he bought a new old house in Rhode Island near the coast, where he plans to build a new woodworking shop, and he is also interested in learning shipbuilding. [16] [23]
His fondness for plaid shirts is well-known and at times parodied, [4] [6] a prime example being the character Al Borland from Home Improvement , portrayed by Richard Karn.
Abram and his wife enjoy cooking and entertaining, visiting museums and art galleries, boating, kayaking, and fishing. [6]
Abram was previously married to Laura Cone (divorced in 1996), [19] [9] with whom he has a daughter, Lindsey. [24] [9]
Norm Abram has authored eight books about carpentry:
He has also contributed to Complete Remodeling. ISBN 9780376003003. and Complete Landscaping. ISBN 9780376003027., both published in 2004 by This Old House Books in conjunction with Sunset Books. Abram also serves on the editorial board of This Old House magazine, published by This Old House Ventures, Inc., also authoring the popular column, "Norm's Notebook". [6]
Julia Carolyn Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963.
WGBH-TV, branded GBH or GBH 2 since 2020, is the primary PBS member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
This Old House is an American home improvement media brand with television shows, a magazine, and a website. The brand is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The television series airs on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) television network and follows remodeling projects of houses over a series of weekly episodes.
The French Chef is an American television cooking show created and hosted by Julia Child, produced and broadcast by WGBH, the public television station in Boston, Massachusetts, from February 11, 1963 to January 14, 1973. It was one of the first cooking shows on American television.
WGBX-TV, branded GBH 44, is the secondary PBS member television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is owned by the WGBH Educational Foundation, alongside WGBH-TV, WFXZ-CD, and multiple public radio stations in Boston and on Cape Cod. WGBX-TV, WGBH-TV and the WGBH and WCRB radio stations share studios on Guest Street in northwest Boston's Brighton neighborhood; WGBX-TV's transmitter is located on Cedar Street in Needham, Massachusetts.
The New Yankee Workshop is an American half-hour woodworking television series produced by WGBH Boston, which aired on PBS. Created in 1989 by Russell Morash, the program was hosted by Norm Abram, a regular fixture on Morash's television series This Old House.
The Victory Garden is an American public television program about gardening and other outdoor activities, which was produced by station WGBH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed by PBS. It was the oldest gardening program produced for television in the United States, premiering April 16, 1975.
Old Sturbridge Village is a living museum located in Sturbridge, Massachusetts which recreates life in rural New England during the 1790s through 1830s. It is the largest living museum in New England, covering more than 200 acres. The Village includes 59 antique buildings, three water-powered mills, and a working farm. Third-person costumed interpreters demonstrate and interpret 19th-century arts, crafts, and agricultural work. The museum is popular among tourists and for educational field trips.
Russell Morash is an American television producer and director. Morash's many television programs are produced through WGBH and airing on PBS.
The Woodwright's Shop is an American traditional woodworking show hosted by master carpenter Roy Underhill and airing on television network PBS. It is one of the longest running how-to shows on PBS, with thirty-five 13-episode seasons produced. Since its debut in 1979, the show has aired over 400 episodes. The first two seasons were broadcast only on public TV in North Carolina; the season numbering was restarted when the show went national in 1981. It is filmed at the UNC-TV studios in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
The WGBH Educational Foundation is an American public broadcasting group based in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 1951, it holds the licenses to all of the PBS member stations in Massachusetts, and operates its flagship station WGBH-TV, sister station WGBX-TV, and a group of NPR member stations in the state. It also owns WGBY-TV in Springfield, which is operated by New England Public Media under a program service agreement.
Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman is an American live-action/animated television series that aired on PBS Kids Go! and is largely targeted toward children ages 6–10. It is a reality-game show hosted by Ruff Ruffman, an animated anthropomorphic dog who dispenses challenges to the show's real-life contestants. The series ran from May 29, 2006, to November 4, 2010 on PBS across five seasons and 100 episodes, and featured 30 contestants. Although a sixth season was planned, with auditions taking place in January 2010, WGBH announced on June 14, 2010 that the series would end due to lack of funding. In June 2008, the series received its first Emmy for Best Original Song for its theme.
Powderhouse Productions is an American television production company established in 1994.
Richard Trethewey is an American plumber and HVAC contractor, who is best known as a television personality, appearing regularly on This Old House and its spin-offs, Ask This Old House and Inside This Old House.
Tom Silva is an American construction contractor and television personality notable for his long-running participation in the PBS shows This Old House and Ask This Old House. He is co-owner of Silva Brothers' Construction, based in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Thomas J. MacDonald, known as Tommy Mac, is an American carpenter and woodworker and former host of the public television series Rough Cut: Woodworking with Tommy Mac.
Norm Abram...turns 73 on October 3...
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 Ep. 28: Norm Abram, Clever Podcast, January 7, 2018Guest on podcast; discusses his upbringing and early interest in woodworking. |
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| By Norm Abram |
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