A 21-Year Labour of Love
Discover the Story of Murfitt:
Murfitt’s story began in 2005, in the front yard of our home in Duncan on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
When the large Bigleaf Maple tree had to be removed, what remained beneath it was something extraordinary—a massive burl that had grown around the base and root system of the tree. As I began digging around it by hand, I gradually realized just how enormous and unusual it was. What started as curiosity soon became a project that would change my life.
Murfitt measures approximately 10½ feet wide by 9½ feet deep, with a circumference of roughly 30 feet. When it was first uncovered, its wet weight was estimated at more than 6,000 pounds. Even after years of drying, it still weighs approximately 4,000 pounds. But its size is only part of what makes Murfitt special.
Discovering What Was Inside
As I worked on the burl, I began removing soil, decayed material and damaged wood. Slowly, the remarkable shapes hidden beneath the surface began to emerge.
There was never a blueprint for what Murfitt would become. I simply followed the natural contours of the wood.
Hollows, roots, curves, openings, colours and extraordinary grain patterns appeared as the work progressed. Rather than trying to force Murfitt into a predetermined shape, I wanted to preserve as much of its natural character as possible and allow the burl itself to guide me.
Much of the work was done with simple hand tools, and progress was often measured in inches rather than feet.
Eventually, what began as an enormous mass of wood and earth became something unlike anything I had imagined when I first started digging.
The Burl ShackOne of the most important people in Murfitt’s story was Peter Donald Murfitt. Pete was originally a stranger to me. When he saw what I was doing, he understood that the burl needed to be protected from Vancouver Island’s weather if there was any hope of preserving it. He offered to help. Pete built the original shelter that became known as The Burl Shack, and I helped him set it up over the burl. His knowledge of wood and his generosity gave Murfitt the protection it desperately needed while it began the long process of drying. Sadly, Pete passed away from cancer only a short time later. Although I knew him for only a brief period, we became good friends. His kindness became an important part of this entire journey, and I never forgot what he had done for me. Years later, when people kept asking what I was going to name the burl, the answer became obvious.
Murfitt. It was my way of remembering and thanking the man whose generosity helped make everything that followed possible.
Years of Drying, Shaping and FinishingA burl of this size cannot simply be carved, polished and finished. It had to dry—and that took years. Murfitt was raised to allow air to circulate underneath, and fans were used during the winter months to help with the drying process. I continued working on it as conditions allowed, gradually removing material, shaping difficult areas and exposing more of the extraordinary wood hidden inside. The drying process alone took approximately eight years. Over time, I worked my way through the interior, the exterior and the complicated root structures. Some areas were extremely difficult to reach. Others revealed unexpected colours, spalting and grain patterns that had been hidden for decades beneath the ground. Eventually, the rough burl I had uncovered in my yard became the highly finished piece you see today. Almost every part of Murfitt has been worked and finished by hand, inside and out.
The 2012 Open House In the summer of 2012, we opened The Burl Shack to the public. Approximately 500 to 600 people came to see Murfitt over the two-day open house.
Watching people walk into the shack and see Murfitt in person was something I will never forget. Photographs can show its colour and grain, but they have always struggled to communicate its scale. People wanted to walk around it, look inside it and touch it. The open house also gave us an opportunity to support a cause that means a great deal to us. Approximately $1,700 was raised for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
That weekend confirmed something I had been feeling for years:Murfitt was meant to be shared. More Than a Piece of Wood Over the years, people have asked me why I kept going. There really isn’t one simple answer. Murfitt became a place where I could work with my hands, think, solve problems and sometimes simply escape from everything else for a while. At one point I described Murfitt as “therapy.” That description still means something to me today. There have been countless hours of sanding, scraping, shaping, lifting, drying, polishing and trying to figure out how to reach the next impossible area. There have also been moments when I stood back and wondered what I had gotten myself into. But I kept going.
What began as a burl in my front yard gradually became a 21-year labour of love. A Vancouver Island Story Murfitt is a product of Vancouver Island in every sense. It began as part of a Bigleaf Maple tree growing here. It was uncovered here, preserved here and shaped here. Its story includes family, friends, neighbours and hundreds of visitors who have stepped inside The Burl Shack over the years. It has also attracted the attention of newspapers, television and radio, introducing many more people to something that for most of its life remained hidden beneath the ground. Today, Murfitt stands at approximately 10½ feet wide, 9½ feet deep and 3½ to 5 feet high, weighing approximately 4,000 pounds. But numbers still don’t adequately describe it. To truly understand Murfitt, you need to stand beside it. You need to see the enormous root structures, the openings and hollows, the polished surfaces and the natural grain. You need to walk around it and realize that what you are looking at grew naturally beneath a Bigleaf Maple tree. And perhaps most importantly, you need to know the story behind it. What Comes Next? After 21 years, my hope is that Murfitt’s next chapter will take it somewhere it can finally be seen and appreciated by many more people. A hotel, resort, airport, museum, gallery, public venue or another special location could allow thousands of people to experience something that has spent most of its life hidden—first beneath the earth and later inside The Burl Shack. Murfitt is now available for sale or lease to the right location, but finding the right home matters to me. Wherever Murfitt eventually goes, I hope its story goes with it. Because Murfitt isn’t simply the story of a giant Bigleaf Maple burl. It is the story of discovering something extraordinary in an unexpected place, of a stranger named Pete who offered to help, of thousands of hours of work, of family and community, and of refusing to give up on something because you believe it deserves to be saved. And after 21 years, the story still isn’t finished.
The Burl ShackOne of the most important people in Murfitt’s story was Peter Donald Murfitt. Pete was originally a stranger to me. When he saw what I was doing, he understood that the burl needed to be protected from Vancouver Island’s weather if there was any hope of preserving it. He offered to help. Pete built the original shelter that became known as The Burl Shack, and I helped him set it up over the burl. His knowledge of wood and his generosity gave Murfitt the protection it desperately needed while it began the long process of drying. Sadly, Pete passed away from cancer only a short time later. Although I knew him for only a brief period, we became good friends. His kindness became an important part of this entire journey, and I never forgot what he had done for me. Years later, when people kept asking what I was going to name the burl, the answer became obvious.
Murfitt. It was my way of remembering and thanking the man whose generosity helped make everything that followed possible.
Years of Drying, Shaping and FinishingA burl of this size cannot simply be carved, polished and finished. It had to dry—and that took years. Murfitt was raised to allow air to circulate underneath, and fans were used during the winter months to help with the drying process. I continued working on it as conditions allowed, gradually removing material, shaping difficult areas and exposing more of the extraordinary wood hidden inside. The drying process alone took approximately eight years. Over time, I worked my way through the interior, the exterior and the complicated root structures. Some areas were extremely difficult to reach. Others revealed unexpected colours, spalting and grain patterns that had been hidden for decades beneath the ground. Eventually, the rough burl I had uncovered in my yard became the highly finished piece you see today. Almost every part of Murfitt has been worked and finished by hand, inside and out.
The 2012 Open House In the summer of 2012, we opened The Burl Shack to the public. Approximately 500 to 600 people came to see Murfitt over the two-day open house.
Watching people walk into the shack and see Murfitt in person was something I will never forget. Photographs can show its colour and grain, but they have always struggled to communicate its scale. People wanted to walk around it, look inside it and touch it. The open house also gave us an opportunity to support a cause that means a great deal to us. Approximately $1,700 was raised for Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.
That weekend confirmed something I had been feeling for years:Murfitt was meant to be shared. More Than a Piece of Wood Over the years, people have asked me why I kept going. There really isn’t one simple answer. Murfitt became a place where I could work with my hands, think, solve problems and sometimes simply escape from everything else for a while. At one point I described Murfitt as “therapy.” That description still means something to me today. There have been countless hours of sanding, scraping, shaping, lifting, drying, polishing and trying to figure out how to reach the next impossible area. There have also been moments when I stood back and wondered what I had gotten myself into. But I kept going.
What began as a burl in my front yard gradually became a 21-year labour of love. A Vancouver Island Story Murfitt is a product of Vancouver Island in every sense. It began as part of a Bigleaf Maple tree growing here. It was uncovered here, preserved here and shaped here. Its story includes family, friends, neighbours and hundreds of visitors who have stepped inside The Burl Shack over the years. It has also attracted the attention of newspapers, television and radio, introducing many more people to something that for most of its life remained hidden beneath the ground. Today, Murfitt stands at approximately 10½ feet wide, 9½ feet deep and 3½ to 5 feet high, weighing approximately 4,000 pounds. But numbers still don’t adequately describe it. To truly understand Murfitt, you need to stand beside it. You need to see the enormous root structures, the openings and hollows, the polished surfaces and the natural grain. You need to walk around it and realize that what you are looking at grew naturally beneath a Bigleaf Maple tree. And perhaps most importantly, you need to know the story behind it. What Comes Next? After 21 years, my hope is that Murfitt’s next chapter will take it somewhere it can finally be seen and appreciated by many more people. A hotel, resort, airport, museum, gallery, public venue or another special location could allow thousands of people to experience something that has spent most of its life hidden—first beneath the earth and later inside The Burl Shack. Murfitt is now available for sale or lease to the right location, but finding the right home matters to me. Wherever Murfitt eventually goes, I hope its story goes with it. Because Murfitt isn’t simply the story of a giant Bigleaf Maple burl. It is the story of discovering something extraordinary in an unexpected place, of a stranger named Pete who offered to help, of thousands of hours of work, of family and community, and of refusing to give up on something because you believe it deserves to be saved. And after 21 years, the story still isn’t finished.
More Than Wood: A Journey
Told Through Photographs and Stories
The Burl Shack — A Labour of Love memoir brings Murfitt’s story to life with rich personal accounts and vivid photographs. See Murfitt’s evolution from the original struggling tree through each stage—excavation, careful moving. Murfitt was dried, preserved and worked on over many years. Every photo chronicles the transformation of this natural wonder and the human spirit that nurtured it.
Why Murfitt’s Story Matters
Murfitt is more than just a giant burl—it’s a testament to nature’s grandeur and the power of dedication. Its history is intertwined with my own journey and with the support of the friends, family, and community members who became part of its story. Through years of care and perseverance, I preserved this remarkable piece of natural heritage, creating a unique object imbued with history, character, and life.
Experience the Full Story
Dive deeper into the complete journey of Murfitt in The Burl Shack — A Labour of Love digital memoir. For only $10 CAD, you can step inside this extraordinary narrative and own a piece of this unique legacy.
Join me in celebrating Murfitt’s remarkable story. Discover how a giant burl from Vancouver Island became a symbol of resilience, beauty, and community.