SPARTANBURG. Wooden treasures fill the shelves, cabinets and drawers of 92-year-old Joe Moore's Eden Terrace apartment in the Spartanburg retirement community, but the items aren't gathering dust.
They will be distributed soon.
"I've found that giving and sharing is the greatest joy in the world," Moore said.
Oil lamps, yo-yos and flip boxes, magnifying glass paperweights, toothbrushes, teaspoons, knives, kaleidoscopes, scent diffusers and adjustable spanners can all be found at Moore's.
"I can't keep track of what I give and I can't keep track of who I give," she said. "If I can imagine it, I can do it."
Moore often visited his Gaffney studio to cut, sand and shape the designs. Use black walnut, wild cherry, Caribbean rosewood and other hardwoods.
He built a black walnut and white oak chess set and donated it to Eden Terrace.
Joe Moore uses woods such as walnut, wild cherry and Caribbean rosewood for gift giving. Asia Rollins / Staff
Moore had a long career as an engineer, but said he loved the creative process of woodworking.
He grew up in Belmont, North Carolina and spent a lot of time in his father's lumberyard. His father made a living by appraising and purchasing lumber. He hired people to cut and sharpen the wood.
At age 6, Moore said he would try to help his father and spent time researching materials for his projects. He was looking for parts to build something with his friends.
Moore officially started working for her father when she was 12 years old. Around the same time, Moore and his friend Jim built a 10x12 cabin on the Moore property. Together they built forts and watchtowers.
Moore's father kept a chart in the kitchen with chores and how much he was willing to pay for each chore.
"If I wanted the money, I'd go through the list and I'd do it," she said. "I realized pretty quickly that with these 10 cent jobs, there's always a 50 cent job."
Moore said an important life lesson she learned from her father was the value of a good work ethic.
"Before I went to college, he made sure I learned how to use whatever gadget they had and he was good at it," she said.
Moore holds a BA in Accounting from Mars Hill College, now known as Mars Hill University. He then went to the state of North Carolina to get a civil engineering degree.
After college, Moore volunteered for the Army. He said he didn't want his career cut short by the war, so he volunteered to fill his spare time. He worked as a military police officer and was stationed at Fort McPherson in Atlanta during the Korean War.
Before starting his contracting business in 1984, Moore moved constantly between North Carolina and South Carolina while working for Duke Power Co.
Joe Moore wrapping a handcrafted wooden gift at his lodgings on Eden Terrace in Spartanburg. Asia Rollins / Staff
Moore bought over 100 acres from Gaffney and turned the barn into a workshop for his business. He said the shop served as a place for workers to store and repair equipment before delivering it to construction sites. He formed a partnership with three other local men to help with the business.
“Despite the fact that we sometimes disagreed, there was no swearing between us during all this time,” she said.
Moore said the ideal day would be an early breakfast and a trip to his old shop to work on projects. He recently sold his studio, but plans to work on space projects from time to time.
"I've known Joe for over two years and we've quickly become friends," said Lesa Phillips, senior care consultant and marketing director at Eden Terrace in Spartanburg. "With his wit and his temper, it's hard not to."
Phillips said Moore was always on the go. He gave Phillips a boo on a keychain and a yo-yo for his son. She said Moore gave gifts to people at her retirement home, loved to make people smile, and always refused to accept a cash gift in return.
"Every vacation he gives my kids," said Elizabeth Hawke, a nurse and medical technician at Spartanburg's Eden Terrace. "He made me write down their names so I wouldn't forget them."
Moore gave Hawke a toothbrush with interchangeable heads and a wooden spacer chain. He recently gave her a wooden box.
"He just gives presents all the time," Hawke said.
Moore is currently preparing Christmas presents for his family and friends. The roof of Moore's old studio was damaged in a storm, but she plans to be back in the creative space soon.
