The name Snodon Iron (pronounced Snowden) was chosen to reflect the history of Winder where this unique company is based. Snodon was the name of the Creek and Cherokee Indian trading center already established in this area when the first white settlers entered northeast Georgia in the 1700’s.
As the creator of Snodon Iron, Mark Pressley has been interested in welding and fabrication for most of his life. Somewhere around 2010, an architect friend approached him to make some taller than normal lamps for taller than normal rooms. He was hooked and has been making things from found iron objects ever since. An Atlanta native, Pressley worked most of career as a commercial roofing contractor. “My work has taken me into some interesting places, from buildings and warehouses to old textile mills and manufacturing plants. Cast-off artifacts have been collected from roofs, machinery and elevator systems. Discarded farm cultivating equipment is also a favorite resource.”
There is a diverse and rich history of Southern and rural culture preserved and retold by collecting and making these old objects into something new.
With the help of his wife Lori, and sister Gloria, Pressley says the design process for each piece begins with the discovery of an interesting artifact and discussion about how it might be turned into something new and useful. Sometimes, these discussions take place in the junkyard, or wherever the “hunt” is happening. Lori has been known to go to an estate sale and arrive home with a truckload of chain from the feeding system of a chicken house. “We are attracted to interesting materials and then we imagine what they might become.” he says. Inspired by nature and the interesting objects they find, Pressley describes their style as “vintage-industrial, with beautiful finishes that preserve the rusty patina of metal or original paint.”Pressley affirms that each of their handmade iron pieces is unique and one-of-a-kind, based on the artifact incorporated. There is a quality and attention to detail in the construction that makes each item a little piece of art. People who appreciate unique design pieces and the beauty of old things, are a perfect fit with Snodon Iron creations. “We love hearing about where our creations end up.” Pressley maintains.
Our designs are based on the artifacts we find, so it’s hard to anticipate what direction that will take. But we feel there is a renewed interest and appreciation with consumers for artisan-created products and our love for collecting and creating will keep us busy.
You can find Snodon Iron pieces on-line @ snodoniron.etsy.com
Photography by Gordon Lynch
