This building was made of clapboard on a wooden beam frame. It was built in 1865 as a communal cooper shop. This building currently houses George Berger's looms.
One of the trades in the village was making rugs. These rugs were made from wool ends and usually cotton material. The widths would vary depending on how wide the loom was threaded. Most of the rooms in the Amana houses were carpeted with this type of rug. Long strips as wide as the room were woven and sewn together to make a room covering. This job was often times done by a man who had worked in one of the two woolen mills.
There were different patterns used by various weavers. These often were a trademark of that person. Today there are very few weavers left in the Amana Colonies. One of these weavers is my father. He weaves as a hobby and to reduce stress. He enjoys talking with people about weaving and is located across from the Ackerman Winery on Highway 220 in South. My father can weave about a yard an hour. It takes about one and a half pounds of material cut into strips and sewn together to make one yard of carpet. He uses a variety of material now including denim and wool.
This building also housed a private carpenter shop. It is currently private property and the building is still standing.