The
Burlingame
Family & Friends

We grabbed the short domain theburl.com back in 2010 as a nod to our family name, Burlingame. Not long after, we learned that a burl is a dense, resilient growth that forms on a tree when it’s under stress. From the outside it can look rough or scarred, but inside it often holds remarkable beauty.

A burl on the Hellcat Trail, Newburyport MA — July 2025

A guitar made from burlwood of a redwood tree

That idea stayed with us. What may look rough or imperfect at first glance can, with care and intention, reveal unexpected beauty. This site is our small, family version of that story—a place rooted in resilience, shared history, and a name we’ve grown to love.

Years later, we discovered that a music venue in Kentucky had opened with the name: THE BURL. We don’t know what inspired their choice, but we like to think the meaning resonates in a similar way. You can find more about their venue below.