The Moncure Chessworks was opened in 1998 by scrap metal sculptor, Lyle Estill. It is primarily a metal working shop, although Estill shares the space with other resident artists, who have worked in glass, fabric, cement, and a wide variety of other mediums. For a bio of Estill click here.

Chessworks also features "Gallery Mode" in which individual spotlights focus on pedestals and artwork for "by appointment" traffic. A lot of the art which sells out of Chessworks is not chess related. To check out gallery mode, click here.

The initial funding for the Moncure Chessworks came from Margaret Pollard, a local politician, and her brother Wilbur Bryant. Together they invested in this new venture because of their deep seated belief in Moncure and their desire to see the arts have a greater role in their community.

But the story of the Moncure Chessworks really began in Upsalla Sweden on Easter, 1992. Estill and his wife, Tami Schwerin, had just finished a business trip to Germany and headed to Scandinavia to catch up with old friends and relax. According to Estill, Sweden is a dreadful place to spend Easter. "It was cold, and wet, and the entire place shuts down. There was nothing to do," Estill said.

"We took an empty train to Upsalla in search of some Viking runes, and found ourselves wandering through a dreary public park when we came across a life size chess set made of wood."We played a match, and that game revitalized the entire trip. I was inspired, and promised myself I would create one out of trash for my yard." At the time, Estill's sculptures were exceedingly primitive, fastened together with carriage bolts and sheet metal screws. "It took me five years to scrounge enough similar materials from the woods," Estill said.

With nothing but a hand-held hacksaw, an electric drill, and a passion for the project, Estill finished the chess set in August of 1996. Surrounded by torches, the moon and the stars, the board was frequently played on summer nights.

"It's a surreal experience," Estill says, "Sitting in your chair with your opponent pacing around in the middle of the board, listening to the owls and frogs. Sometimes a dog or cat will emerge from the darkness and walk through the game. "My only regret is that I put it too close to the house. Some nights when I was lying in bed, I could see torch light flickering on the ceiling, because players had shown up for a game without me."

Public attention was first drawn to the board in the fall of 1996, when Estill included several pieces in a solo exhibition of his work in Raleigh entitled "One Man's Trash." Schwerin, who was acting as an art broker at the time (and is now dedicated to design work), sold a set to Rebas and Roses in Hillsboro, N.C. The owner of the new set was kind enough to lend it back to Estill for inclusion in the North Carolina Botanical Center's 10th Annual Sculpture in the Garden Invitational in the fall of 1997. And it was at the Botanical Center that the general public had a chance to play, and play they did.

The North Carolina Botanical garden has been the home to many versions of Estill's chess sets ever since, and has been a terrific venue for his
work. To find out more about the NCBG, click here.