Tom Duca’s Sunburst Gates

If Robert Frost was correct that “Good fences make good neighbors”, then experience has taught us that sunburst gates make neighbors into friends.

And so today I doff my proverbial hat to neighbor, friend, and carpenter, Tom Duca. Tom was one of the first people we met when we moved to Essex in 2005, and he’s been an essential, insightful, and joyful part of our life ever since. And the two sunburst gates that welcome friends to our home are a testament to Tom’s creativity and craftsmanship. Thank you, Tom!

Yet, for some reason, I’m thirteen years overdue posting about the sunburst gates that Tom designed, fabricated, and installed during the summer of 2010.

Back on June 16, 2011 I referenced these handsome sunburst gates:

This morning I spied him touching up another gate, one of a pair of unique gates that he built and designed about a year ago. You can look forward to a full post with photos and drawings in the not-too-distant future.

(Source: Three Perks of Life in Essex)

Needless to say, that not-too-distant future turns out to have been over a dozen years! Mea culpa.

Two years ago, on October 14, 2021 I offered an abbreviated shoutout on Instagram and Facebook, but I’ve been delinquent in updating the website.

So, better late than never!

It’s worth mentioning that we asked Tom to design, fabricate, and install robust, functional gates featuring the Essex sunburst motif. And then we stepped aside. No hovering. No second-guessing. Full, creative freedom. Tom works well that way!

From his first sketch, we fell in love with Tom Duca’s sunburst gates. Joyful and familiar, yet elegant and totally unique. We did discuss would, assembly, and hinges, but ultimately we deferred to Tom’s judgement and preference.

And little-by-little the vision metamorphosed into reality. Tom Duca’s sunburst gates transformed the street view of Rosslyn, echoing a familiar Essex motif while providing a dog-secure barrier between yard and traffic.

All of these years later Tom Duca’s sunburst gates continue to accentuate Rosslyn’s historic fence (a post for another day) while performing practical service despite inclement weather and plenty of opening and closing.

It’s been a distinct pleasure over the last 17+ years to gradually rehabilitate this historic property with the creativity, perseverance, and the unique gifts of so many local craftspeople and artisans. Everywhere we turn, there is a memory, an individual’s unique contribution to Rosslyn’s enduring narrative. Although we are fortunate that Tom’s contributions are far more than the two front gates, these are my personal favorites. In many respects, they capture Tom’s unique DNA: whimsical and optimistic, yet reverent for our local heritage; practical and robust, yet as attractive and distinctive as their maker.

Thank you, Tom, for years of guidance and assistance, always popping up just exactly when we need you. and thank you for imagining Rosslyn’s sunburst gates into existence (as well as checking on them time to time to ensure they’re still performing at their best!)