Sasquatch sighting in Washington County?
Katherine Mansfield
The figure and the base stand about 9 feet tall and weigh around 400 pounds.
Katherine Mansfield
Jerry Matthews carves the main shape of his wood carving with a chainsaw, and uses smaller tools for more intricate details.
Katherine Mansfield
Jerry Matthews carved this sasquatch
Katherine Mansfield
Katherine Mansfield
Jerry Matthews carved this large bear that holds his mailbox.
Jerry Matthews carved this large bear that holds his mailbox
By Karen Mansfield
Reports of a Bigfoot sighting in Washington County have been confirmed.
The mythical half-man, half-beast has been spotted hanging around the front yard of North Strabane Township resident Jerry Matthews.
Relax, though. This Sasquatch isn’t real.
The life-sized Bigfoot was crafted from a pine tree by Matthews, a carpentry teacher at Connellsville Area Career and Technical Center, also a woodcarver.
When a tree service cut down a large pine from the Matthews’ yard last year, he asked the tree cutter to leave a 10-foot section.
“At the time, I really didn’t know what I wanted to carve,” Matthews said. “I was thinking of something tall that could fit into (the log), and I thought, ‘Well, maybe Sasquatch. Everybody likes Sasquatch.'”
The figure and the base stand about 9 feet tall and weigh around 400 pounds, give or take 50.
Matthews spent hours cutting away at the massive chunk of wood with his chainsaw until the shape of the Bigfoot emerged. He carved and smoothed the details with traditional hand tools like gouges and chisels.
Before he started cutting, Matthews sketched out the statue and drew it to scale.
Then, using bright yellow paint, he outlined Sasquatch on the wood’s front and side.
“That gets me started, and then after that, it’s just all free-hand,” said Matthews. “I’ll keep looking at it, judging whether or not it needs a little more off.”
It was essential for Matthews to capture Sasquatch’s iconic posture: the curved arm, head turned sideways, and purposeful stride.
And, since no one has actually met Bigfoot, Matthews took some artistic license.
“I’ve always pictured him as pretty buff because he’s running through the woods chasing down things to eat, so he’s gotta be in shape,” said Matthews. “He can’t just be like a chubby old guy. He’s on the move.”
And no, Matthews said, Bigfoot’s name is not Daryl – the Progressive insurance company’s misunderstood Sasquatch’s moniker.
Matthews has been a teacher at the career and technical center for 28 years, and before that, he owned a business, building cabinets and remodeling and building homes.
He was interested in wood carving since he was a boy, but it wasn’t until three years ago – moved by a tragic event – that he took it up.
On Dec. 20, 2017, a longtime student of his, Savanna Porterfield, was killed in a one-car accident on her way to school.
Matthews planned to make a memorial bench, but instead, he decided to carve a horse statue in honor of Porterfield, who loved horses and often talked with Matthews about her horse.
He hauled a pine log cut from one of the trees in his yard to school and started to work on the statue, a white horse standing upright on its hind legs.
“So I’d come in early, and on my prep time I’d pick away at it,” he said. “Or if the seniors were in there, I’d maybe do a little bit if they were busy and didn’t need my help. I’d work on it whenever I got a little bit of time.”
The memorial, along with a plaque and a photo of Porterfield, stands in the school lobby.
“That kind of, I guess, pushed me into it because I’d always wanted to try it but thought, nah,” Matthews said. “But then I thought hey, what’s the worst that can happen? If you make a mistake, it’s firewood, right?”
After Matthews completed the horse, his mother asked him to carve a woodland bear for her.
“It’s kind of a jolly, happy bear, a character bear. She really liked it,” said Matthews.
Since then, he has carved bears – including a large bear that holds his mailbox, an eagle that he donated to the annual Run for Alex race to be raffled off, and a large pumpkin.
If you don’t get a chance to see Matthews’s Bigfoot, keep your eyes open when you’re driving along wooded areas – Pennsylvania ranks as the third best state to spot the big fellow.
That’s according to sighting statistics the Travel Channel collected from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization for its series, “In Search of Monsters.”
Pennsylvania trails only Washington and California in reported sightings, according to BFRO.
Matthews estimated it will take about 50 hours to carve and then stain Sasquatch, who will take up residence in the front yard.
Sasquatch has gotten attention from passersby.
“It’s nice when people appreciate your work,” said Matthews. “It’s very satisfying, too, when you’re finished and you can look at something you’ve created and take pride in it.”