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History of the Joggling Board

A Friendly Invitation: Joggling Bench

Jog-gle: ‘to shake slightly; move to and fro, as by repeated jerks; a joint between two pieces of building material formed by a notch and a fitted projection.’

The Charleston Joggling Board has many fun historic stories related to joggling!  But the story below we think is the most accurate.  Enjoy!

Image it’s 1803, and we’re at Acton Plantation in Sumter, South Carolina. Mary Huger has moved in to help her brother, Cleland Kinlock, manage the house after the death of his wife. While at Acton Plantation, Mary develops painful rheumatism, which keeps her from indulging in her favorite pastime, carriage rides. She laments her loss in a letter home to her family in Scotland. The family replies with a set of plans for a joggling bench. The Kinlock’s carpenter used the plans to build the first American joggling board, which took its place on the Acton Plantation’s porch.

I know what you’re thinking. A joggling what now? Joggling boards, or jostling boards if you’re in Scotland, are long, semi-flexible benches supported on either end by wooden stands that rock. Because the bench is springy, it’s easy to bounce up and down, providing gentle exercise. It also simulates the motion of a carriage ride. Scottish joggling boards were mounted on post, but that soon changed when they arrived in Charleston, SC. 

When guests had the chance to experience the Kinlock’s joggling board, they all wanted one. Soon joggling boards take over Southern front porches, and when the joggling board arrived in Charleston, SC the rocking feet were added.  All of The Joggle Factory's joggling boards rock side to side and have depending on the size have a slight give in the center of the bench. 

An invitation to share a joggling bench is an invitation for friendship…and sometimes a little more. In the mid-1800’s joggling boards develop a decidedly romantic mystique. Young couples sit on either end and joggle, eventually meeting in the middle of the board for a moment of intimate conversation.

Now's your chance to have a piece of Charleston history right on your front porch where family memories are made.

Joggling Boards in our Modern World

Joggling boards became a symbol of warm hospitality and are sweetly romantic, which is why Chris Outland made it his mission to give a joggling board to his bride, Kristi, as a wedding and housewarming present. Except he couldn’t find one, so he put his woodworking skills to use and made one. Of course, all the neighbors wanted one, and The Joggle Factory was born. Chris working as a paramedic and firefighter, and Kristi as a nutritionist. As demand grew, the couple decided to quit their jobs and go all in. Fourteen years and three kids later, they are shipping joggling boards around the globe.

The Joggle Factory makes heirloom-quality joggling boards that range from 6′ – 16′ long. Boards are painted traditional Charleston Green, which is a shade of black with green undertones. The Joggle Factory also offers an adorable kids’ size and unfinished DIY kits. “Modern homes have much smaller and more slender porches, ” Kristi says. “Joggling boards are only 21″ wide, so they easily fit. You can also use them in nooks and entryways as benches.”

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Why Choose Us

There are other joggling board companies in the world, but The Joggle Factory is different. First, we are wholly committed to sustainability. “Sustainability is very important to us. We only purchase wood within 100 miles of our shop. That reduces trucking. All of our wood is bought through the Forest Initiative; they plant trees for each one they cut down. Our wood is also untreated, so there is no nasty chemicals. We use a no-VOC paint, so it’s not dangerous to the environment or for people to touch.

Second, The Joggle Factory is dedicated to the community. The Joggle Factory can’t keep up with demand on their own, so they get some help from the South Carolina Vocational Rehab program. The program matches people who have had a hard time finding work due to a physical or mental disability with jobs suited to their capabilities. The Joggle Factory loves the idea that the program is helping people find work while keeping the craft of woodworking alive.

“You don’t have a front porch in the South if you don’t have a joggling board,” Kristi says. “We love that they invite a feeling of family and togetherness. Up North porches have rocking chairs or Adirondack chairs, which you sit in alone. Joggling boards are meant to be shared, and that’s part of what’s special about the South.”