Custom Podiums & Lecterns
Custom Podiums, Lecterns & Pulpits
CathcartCrafted designs and builds handcrafted wood podiums, lecterns and church pulpits in our Raleigh, North Carolina shop — and we are the manufacturer behind the handcrafted wood podiums, lecterns and pulpits sold under the CathcartCrafted name on thePodiumsStore.com.
When you order a podium from us you are not buying from a reseller. You are talking to the shop that selects the lumber, runs the CNC, cuts the flutes, sands the panels and sprays the finish. That is why we can change a dimension, a species, a slope, a flute count or a carved logo without a three-week back-and-forth with a factory overseas — we own the machines that make the change.
Call or text (919) 590-0101, or use the chat button in the corner of this page. Both are answered during and after shop hours.
Two Ways to Start
Build one virtually on thePodiumsStore.com
Our sister site has a built-in customizer that lets you configure a podium on screen — species, stain color, dimensions, detailing — so you can see options and get your ideas straight before you talk to anybody. Great for narrowing down a look, sharing with a committee, or building a spec sheet for a purchase order.
Design & Request a Quote →Start the conversation right here
Not sure where to begin, working from a photo, matching existing sanctuary furniture, or need something the configurator does not cover? Skip the tool entirely. Tell us what you are trying to do and we will work it out with you — most custom quotes go out within 1–2 business days.
Contact CathcartCrafted →Examples of What We Can Build
These are models we build to order and list on thePodiumsStore.com. Treat them as a starting point rather than a fixed catalog: the photos show style, proportion and detailing options — they are configuration images, not photographs of one particular finished commission. Every piece we ship is cut to your dimensions, in your species, in your finish. If you see something close to what you want, we will build it your way. If you do not see it at all, describe it and we will draw it.
Church Pulpit with Cross & Scrollwork — PD900
The most ornate of the standard models: solid hardwood with a carved cross, fluted columns and scrollwork detailing. That carved panel is exactly the kind of element we swap for your own church symbol, seal or crest.
See the options →
Victory Style Wood Pulpit — Model 310
Domestic hardwood pulpit with fluted corner columns, adjustable reading-surface slope, concealed supply shelf and an integrated microphone mount position.
See the options →
Victory V-Shape Pulpit — Model 300
An angled V-front version of the Victory pulpit, built for chancels where the piece is viewed across a wide arc. Same hardwood construction and stain range, different footprint.
See the options →
Height-Adjustable Lectern — Presidential Lift PRES900
A powered lift column inside a hardwood lectern, so one piece serves a tall speaker, a short speaker and a seated or wheelchair-using presenter without swapping furniture between sessions.
See the options →
Imperial T-15 Portable Lectern
A lightweight portable presentation lectern in oak, for schools, training rooms, banquet spaces and anywhere the podium has to move between rooms and store out of the way.
See the options →What You Can Change
Custom means custom. These are the decisions that are yours to make on a wood podium or pulpit:
Who We Build For
How a Custom Podium Gets Built
- Tell us what you needUse the customizer on thePodiumsStore.com to rough out a design, or just call, text or message us here with a photo, a sketch or a description. Either path lands in the same shop.
- We quote itYou get a written quote — usually within 1–2 business days — with the species, finish, dimensions and lead time spelled out. Purchase orders welcome.
- You approve the dimension sheetBefore anything is cut, you sign off on a finalized dimension sheet. Production locks after that approval, so nothing gets built off a guess.
- We build it in RaleighMilled, CNC-cut, assembled, sanded through the grits and finished in coats — in our own shop, by the people who quoted it.
- It ships to youFreight and white-glove delivery to the lower 48, local delivery and installation across the Triangle, or pick it up at the shop.
Ready to Talk It Through?
Call or text (919) 590-0101. Texting is often the fastest way to reach us — send a photo of your sanctuary, stage or existing furniture and we will tell you what it takes to match it.
Prefer to type? Use the live chat button in the corner of this page. It is covered during shop hours and after hours, so committee meetings that run late still get an answer.
Want to see options first? Design one on thePodiumsStore.com and send us the configuration.
Built in Raleigh, Shipped Nationwide
Our shop, showroom and office are in Raleigh, NC. Churches, schools and businesses across Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Apex, Wake Forest, Garner, Clayton, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and the wider Triangle are welcome to come see work in progress and put a hand on stain samples before committing — visits are by appointment. Everywhere else, we ship: freight and white-glove delivery to the lower 48, with Alaska, Hawaii and international quoted individually.
CathcartCrafted 1053 East Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 115Raleigh, NC 27604
Phone / Text: (919) 590-0101
Shop visits by appointment
Common Questions
Are the podiums on thePodiumsStore.com made by CathcartCrafted?
Yes. Every handcrafted wood podium, lectern and pulpit listed there under the CathcartCrafted name is built to order in our Raleigh, NC shop. That is why custom sizes, species, stains, carvings and logo work are possible on those pieces at all.
Are the photos on this page pieces you built?
No — they are configuration and catalog images that show the models, proportions and detailing we build to order. We show them so you can point at a style and say "like that, but…". Your piece is built to your own dimensions, species and finish, and we are happy to send progress photos of your actual build.
Do I have to use the online customizer?
No. The customizer on thePodiumsStore.com is there to help you see options and settle on ideas, and a lot of people find it useful before a committee meeting. But you can skip it entirely — call or text (919) 590-0101, use the chat button, or send us a message through our contact page and we will work through it with you directly.
Can you match our existing sanctuary or stage furniture?
Usually, yes. Send us photos and, if you can, a stain sample or a small piece of the existing trim. We custom color-match finishes and can mirror profiles, flute spacing and panel proportions so a new pulpit does not look like it arrived from a different building.
Can you carve our church cross, school seal or company logo?
Yes. We CNC-carve crosses, seals, crests, school marks and corporate logos directly into the front panel, or produce them as an applied raised panel. Send vector artwork if you have it; a clean high-resolution image usually works too.
How long does a custom podium take?
Lead time depends on species availability, detail work and finish schedule, and your written quote states it before you pay anything. Most quotes go out within 1–2 business days. Production does not start until you approve a finalized dimension sheet.
Do you accept purchase orders from churches and schools?
Yes. We work with purchase orders and can provide W-9s, quotes formatted for board approval and itemized specs for procurement. Ask when you request your quote.
Do you ship outside North Carolina?
Yes. Larger pieces ship by LTL freight and white-glove carrier to the lower 48. We deliver and install locally throughout the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill Triangle, and shop pickup is always welcome. Alaska, Hawaii and international shipments are quoted individually.