Final run from Harold's barn workshop • In 14 active carts • 263 left
Harold's Handbuilt Cedar Bluebird House
Harold's Handbuilt Cedar Bluebird House
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Harold's Handbuilt Cedar Bluebird House
Built by hand in an old tobacco barn in the Blue Ridge
Harold Pruitt, 73, has built bluebird houses in Floyd, Virginia since 1981. Arthritis now makes his hands shake at the drill press — this is his final batch.
“In 1981 my wife bought a $4.99 birdhouse at the hardware store. Nine days after the bluebirds moved in, a sparrow used the perch to get inside. It wasn’t the bird’s fault. It was the box. I spent the next twelve years building one that wouldn’t let them down.”
Harold Pruitt · Floyd, Virginia
What comes in the box
Fully assembled and ready to hang
Already fitted around the 1½-inch hole
Already fitted — keeps the nest dry
Put it up the same day
Six lessons Harold built into every box
The hole is exactly 1½ inches. Bluebirds fit through. Starlings don’t. Harold lost nine boxes to starlings in one spring before he found that number.
The eggs sit about six inches below the hole in a tall, deep box. A raccoon reaching in finds nothing but air.
A steel plate around the hole. Squirrels and woodpeckers can’t chew it bigger — so it stays bluebird-sized for years.
A wire grid lifts the nest off the floor. Rain drains away and parasites fall through. The nest stays dry after a wet spring.
Little grooves inside the front give the young birds a foothold. When they are ready, they climb up to the hole and fly.
Air vents under the roof let summer heat out. Thick cedar walls stay cool on hot days and hold warmth on cold spring nights.
And one thing it doesn’t have: a perch. Bluebirds don’t need one — only sparrows do.
“Every spring I see how many bluebird nests are lost to sparrows, heat and raccoons. Most people have no idea the box itself is the problem. Harold’s box gets every important detail right — the hole size, the depth, no perch, and a front you can open for weekly checks. It isn’t decoration. It’s real help for bluebird families.”
Ron Whitaker · Retired wildlife biologist · Bluebird trail monitor in Virginia for 20+ years
Perfect for
Why Harold’s boxes last
- Solid cedar. Naturally weather-tough wood — no chemical treatment inside where the birds live.
- Real hardware. A steel collar screwed around the entrance and a metal hinge pin on the front — parts that last as long as the wood.
- Opens in seconds. The front swings open on a pin and closes with a latch. Checking and cleaning take less than a minute.
- Built to one design since 1993. 31 tries, twelve springs of testing — then never changed again.
- Proven on Harold’s own trail. 3,811 young bluebirds have left his boxes. Each one is a pencil mark on his shop door.
If it isn’t right for your yard, one email to info@cedarandtinco.com is enough. No forms, no questions — Harold would rather have it back than have it sit in a garage.
Harold’s one request. Bluebirds like open ground. Hang the box on a pole or post about five feet high, facing a field or lawn — not on a tree and not close to the house. If you have raccoons or snakes, add a baffle to the pole. Then open it once a week and take a look. That’s all it takes.
Product details
| Contents | 1 assembled cedar bluebird house + mounting screws |
| Material | Cedar, natural finish walls, painted roof cap |
| Entrance hole | 1½ in / 38 mm, with steel collar |
| Dimensions | Approx. 16 in tall incl. back board × 6 in wide × 8 in deep (40 × 15 × 20 cm) |
| Nest depth | Approx. 6 in / 15 cm below the hole |
| Inside | Wire nest grid, climbing grooves, air vents under the roof line |
| Access | Front swings open on a pin, closes with a latch |
| Perch | None — on purpose |
| Mounting | Back board with 2 holes, screws included; best on a pole about 5 ft high |
| Best for | Eastern bluebirds; also used by tree swallows and chickadees |
| Care | Remove the old nest once a year, before spring. No paint or treatment inside. |
| Made by | Harold Pruitt, Floyd, Virginia — final batch, 263 remaining |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from the barn workshop:
Harold Pruitt has built bluebird houses in an old tobacco barn outside Floyd, Virginia since 1981 — 3,811 young bluebirds have flown from his boxes, every one a pencil mark on his shop door. In 1981 a $4.99 store-bought birdhouse let a sparrow in; it took him twelve years and 31 tries to build a box that wouldn't. Now arthritis makes his hands shake at the drill press, and the 1½-inch hole has to be exact. Last winter he built one final batch. When these are gone, there are no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 3–5 business days
- Every box is hand-packed and ships from the US
- Solid cedar, approx. 16 in tall incl. back board × 6 in wide × 8 in deep (40 × 15 × 20 cm)
- 1½ in / 38 mm entrance with steel collar, nest approx. 6 in below the hole, no perch
- Mounting screws included — best on a pole about 5 ft high
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@backroadgoods.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@backroadgoods.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET). Whether it’s about your order, where to hang your box, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Put it up, give it a week, and if it isn’t right for your yard, email info@backroadgoods.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and US shipping is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Harold cuts every box from solid cedar in his barn workshop. The 1½-inch hole is drilled on the drill press and fitted with a steel collar so squirrels can’t chew it bigger. Inside go a wire nest grid, climbing grooves for the young birds and air vents under the roof. The front swings open on a pin for weekly checks — and there is no perch, on purpose. It’s the same design he has built since 1993.