Many pieces of furniture in the Taylor/Shaw Welcome Center were custom designed and crafted by Roger Ellison to express a profound appreciation for the life-changing influence of YMCA Camp Grady Spruce on his and his family’s life as well as those of generations of campers, staff, volunteers, donors, and their families. For so many, it is difficult to imagine their lives without Camp Grady Spruce, but the richness of its influence is beyond question.

The woods chosen for the furniture - mesquite, pecan, live oak, ash, walnut, and Texas ebony - are intentionally Texas woods. Those woods, like all people, are imperfect, showing flaws, the scars of living, character and ultimately, unmistakable beauty. Excepting the Texas ebony, all are indigenous to the Brazos River basin of Texas and especially that of the 22,500 square miles of the river basin which feeds Possum Kingdom Lake. 

The land of that basin and the influence of humankind are also reflected in the lines of the furniture, much of it in Ellison’s unique Greene & Gruene style. The windmill towers, oil derricks, and wind turbine towers of this land give the slope of their structures to the legs of the furniture. The plateaus and caprocks of West Texas are seen in the profiles of the rails or skirts of many pieces. The flatness of the Llano Estacado - so vast one can almost imagine seeing the curvature of the earth - lend both their flatness and curvature to the lower connecting rails on some pieces. The sculpted, curvaceous live edges of much of the furniture speak to the spirit of freedom and adventure of those who claimed and settled the land. Even the faux pegs of Texas ebony and the hand forged steel sing to the bit of flourish cowboys, so much a part of the culture of the Brazos River basin, have traditionally expected of the trappings of their lifestyle. The irregular curves of the reception countertop speak clearly of the inescapable influence of the waters and waves of Possum Kingdom Lake on the programs of Camp Grady Spruce. The contemporary rectilinear lines of the Texana II table reflect the sophistication of North Texas culture, albeit with a Texas accent.

Roger Ellison is a maker of custom fine heirloom furniture, working out of his one-person shop in San Angelo, Texas. He serves as designer, artisan, owner, and janitor of Traditionals by Roger Ellison, www.rogerellison.com. He served on the staff of Camp Grady Spruce from 1967 into 1989; he continues to serve Grady Spruce as a donor and volunteer.