Topping Out

The practice of placing a cut tree on top of the last floor of a construction project was inherited from the medieval guilds of England, Scandinavia and Germany. Carpenters and timber framers believed it brought good luck to honor the trees they cut down for their buildings. Many sources point to earlier rituals that may have involved worshipping spirits that dwelt in the trees. Some ancient accounts relate that Romans offered human sacrifices to the rivers where bridges were built. However, that may have indicated a disastrous lack of safety equipment. Later, they substituted animals and trees. Today, construction crews often place a tree on top of their project and sometimes sign their names to the last beam put in place.