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Show Master carver Jean- Fracois Eakle hand- carves a block of Torrey buff sandstone into a birdbath basin. The stone will eventually be placed in the garden of a private residence. John Larnbert, founder and head of Abstract Masonry Restoration, Inc., trains students in mixing The craftspeople at Historical Arts and Casting handle all phases of metal design and fabrication mortar for masonry restoration at a hands- on TBSl workshop. at their studio in West Jordan. This piece is a portion of a larger gate assembly. i - 7 " liSl By Nelson Knight and Wilson Martin UTAU BORSTS A WRVIEALTPX 01 CRAFTSPEQFLE Looking through the eyes of craftsmen of the past whose inastcry of tradilioqai building kecklniques is critical to Founded in l g g 6 t Abstract Inc. provides historic masonry consulting and contracting services for projects the state's si~ ccessiulh is lor!^ piesei.~ ritii on n~ overnerii.[ lie throughout the united States, England, and Wales. The company excuse " We can't restore it beca~ iseil obody ktioir~ sh w 1 1 maintains its corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City and has a was do~ ie" d oesi?' t nriltl water around here. branch in Boston. Abstract Masonry Restoration's craftspeople have stabilized, Urnol..~ gt he state's rnany notewnrti- iy ~: raf'rspec? piea re t. lirt-: c-: cleaned, and restored the masonry on numerous notable build-ings, including the Ralph Waldo Emerson house in Concord, iiri- ns whose conlribut! ons tc, hist~ ric preserv3tion rriake Massachusetts; the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia; Robert E, therl? " treasures" of Utah's preservation trades. These Lee's Civil War headquarters near Lewisburg, West Virginia; firn- is vary in their crafts and products, h ~ th~ eyt s hare three and the Union Pacific Depot, McCune Mansion, David Keith Mansion, First Presbyterian Church, St. Mark's Cathedral, and imporiant traits: all of tt1ei- n cornpicte project:; ori a national The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Salt Lake City, or international scale, all rjf them have fijrthered the field of John Lambert, founder and head of the firm, peppers his preservation education. and all have c; ilti\/ ated tradiiional conversation with a mix of high- tech terms such as " microinjec-tion" and " siloxane." But he also has a deep appreciation for tnethods of craftsmanship whiie integrating new appma:: hes the principles and techniques developed by earlier generations and technologies. of masons. " It is only when one sees through the eyes of the 56 UTAH PRESERVATION masonry craftsmen of the time that one can develop the rever-ence for an accurate and respectful preservation or restoration project," he explains. In his study of these techniques, Lambert has assembled what is thought to be the most comprehensive collection available of historic books, art, and documents on masonry from the early 1700s through the early 1900s. These resources contribute to his understanding of how historic masonry buildings were originally constructed and why masonry craftsmen chose the materials they did. Like the masons who preceded him, Lambert passes on his knowledge to new generations of craftspeople. He conducts hands- on historic masonry restoration training workshops at the Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies in Mt. Carroll, Illinois, and the Traditional Building Skills Institute ( TBSI) at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. He has also served as chairman of the board for TBSI. Each year, Lambert leads a group of students to England and Wales to study historic masonry buildings and learn traditional skills and restoration techniques. As part of their studies, the students work on ongoing projects at an eleventh- century manor owned by Llewelyn, the last sovereign Prince of Wales. Lambert counts his firm's work on the St. George Reef Lighthouse as his most challenging. Constructed over ten years from 1882- 1892, the lighthouse sits on a small rock island six miles into the Pacific Ocean off the shore of Crescent City, California. The island is only 17 feet above sea level and affords no safe landing for boats. The only way to access the lighthouse is via helicopter which, weather permitting, lands on the small deck of the lighthouse. Therefore, transportation of manpower and heavy masonry materials is time consuming, dangerous, and expensive. The dedication and ingenuity Abstract Masonry Restoration brought to bear on the lighthouse project are typical of Lambert's passion for preserving our architectural heritage through the highest standards of his craft. As Lambert explains, " Anyone can repair masonry. We restore it." The Middle Ages meet the Computer Age At State Stone's yard in Murray, you can see the best of the old and new in stone carving side by side. In one workshop, master stone carvers Brad Hansen and Jean- Francois Eakle hand carve blocks of Little Cottonwood granite for the Utah State Capitol Building and buff Torrey sandstone for the Salt Lake Tabernacle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints ( LDS Church) and a private residence. Next door, Jim DeLong operates a computer controlled, dia-mond saw and lathe to carve other blocks of Little Cottonwood granite into balusters that will line the Capitol's rooftop. The saw, fabricated by a company in Italy, is connected to computer T IS O U R HANDS- ON CRAFTSMEN, who while left alone and unobserved, cohtrd t, he quality of Loth the seen, and unf; een. Ignoring the unseen festers , 4 - 1 : . , . $ k i ~? h e building % . . owner of what he is right- I waker, in the soul of the craftsman and ; i s J ; I, , ", &, , fieIIy, due. It leaves a scar on our cultural I! . . . , i s , hirikagef I . . d< i. sr espects the original mason, 8 < and dad not do justice to the respectful ~ s ~ b t ~ a toifo tnh e masonry. The craftsman ' Ghd focuses on both the seen, and the udken is a true craftsman - with integrity. MASONRY RESTORTION 4640: S. Commerce Dr, Salt Lake Glty, Utah 87107 ( 801) 262- 8323 fax ( 801) 262- 1023 Visit us onllne a t www. stBtB~ ne,~ m software and a 3- D scanner that can convert a two- dimensional image or three- dimen-sional model into a di" gi tal tool ~ a t fhor the saw. The saw then uses these codes to cut a piece of stone into any shape imaginable. In addition to its yard, State Stone owns quarries near Torrey and Manti. Much of the quarry work utilizes methods familiar to the workers who cut stone for cathedrals in the Middle Ages. State Stone also has a slabbing plant in Torrey where large wire and belt saws cut limestone, granite, and Torrey red and buff sandstone from the quarries into more manageable pieces. State Stone has put this investment in tradition and technology to work on a long list of historic preservation projects. Initially much of this work was in Utah. The firm's early projects included fabricating and installing stone for the St. George Tabernacle , L , - - and the exterior limestone at the Manti Temple of the LDS Church. In one of their most challenging projects, Abstract Masonry Restoration craftspeople restored the beautiful, but nearly State Stone provided the limestone for the restoration of the Utah Governor's inaccessible, st. George Reef Lighthouse off the California Mansion after a devastating fire in 1993. In a later project, State Stone craftspeople were able to add their own creative touch to the largely restorative work on the man-sion. They designed and carved a cartouche commemorating the 2002 Winter Olympic Games for the east side of the mansion's upper story. More recently the company has broadened its focus to include projects across the country. It was one of several stone firms that prepared stone for the LDS Church's reconstruction of the Nauvoo Temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. State Stone also carved intri-cate column capitals based on ears of corn for the restoration of the exterior on the North Dakota State Capitol and used Manti limestone from its own quarry to restore the exterior of the Sheraton Palace Hotel ( William Ralston's 1875 Palace Hotel) in San Francisco. Keith MacKay, the owner of State Stone, has been working with stone for 55 years. He shares his knowledge of stone cawing techniques with a new generation of craftspeople as a member of the TBSI Board and through teaching TBSI's stone carving workshops. By making historic preservation a major focus of State Stone's business, MacKay has created an oasis where the time- honored skills, technology, and passion required to preserve historic stone buildings thrive. Reinventing a lost art The Baird family re- invented a lost art and established a thriving business along the way. Company founder Steven T. Baird was a preservation architect. In the early 1970s, he was asked to direct the restoration of the 1876 cast iron facade of the ZCMI depart-ment store in Salt Lake City. Baird discovered that few, if any, people in the country had experience with cast iron construction technology. So Baird oversaw local metal fabricators, pattern makers, and foundry men in the creation of pieces necessary to restore the facade. News of the project quickly spread through preservation circles around the coun-try and Baird was asked to consult on numerous cast iron projects from New York to California. Baird's son, David, started organizing the various subcontractors involved in the early projects and assembling some of the components in his parent's garage. Soon the team grew with the addition of Robert and Richard Baird, as well as other associates. The growing interest in historic preservation and traditionally- inspired new buildings allowed the company to prosper. Now Historical Arts and Casting, Inc. has 60 employ-ees and a 75,000 square foot manufacturing and fabrication facility in West Jordan. A tour of the facility takes a visitor from quiet offices, where the Baird brothers and their creative crew dream up the designs for their metal masterpieces, to the cacophony of the foundry, where the designs are cast in an elaborate sand casting process utilizing sand and molten iron, aluminum, and bronze. Today Historical Arts and Casting, produces a wide variety of ornamental and archi- Srare stone's computer controlled diamond saw WIII rurn this blank of Little Cottonwood granite into a baluster for the Utah State Capitol restoration. tectural metalwork, from cast iron storefront^ to decorative - g rillwork, canopies, doors, Historical Arts and Castinr! restored the spectacular Globe windows, statuary, and fountains. It combines traditional foundry processes with com- ~ 8 : a ; ~ ~ ~ ~ e r : ~ ~ e n ) , " ~ - ~ ~ ~ m " , ' t ~ puter- aided design and fabrication tools. The firm's highly sought- after work can be the solar system. UTAH PRESERVATION 59 found in grand public buildings, ornate churches, historic com-mercial buildings, and exclusive residences across the county. To help others learn about this traditional craft, Historical Arts and Casting has republished important and rare books on metalwork, including " MacFarlanes Catalogue of Cast Iron Ornamentation," a 1908 work considered the best and most comprehensive publication on metalwork of its time. The MacFarlane catalog is even available for free online at the firm's website. One of the firm's specialties is the restoration and reproduction of ornate chandeliers for large public buildings. The restored chan-deliers in the Los Angeles Central Library and in the main waiting room of Grand Central Station in New York City show the breadth of Historical Arts & Casting's expertise and skill of its artisans. Another of the firm's many restoration projects involved restoring a series of metal bridges in New York City's Central Park. In Utah, the company recently completed the casting for new light standards, based on a historic design, for the grounds of the Capitol. The scope, magnitude, and quality of Historical Arts and Casting's projects combined with its pioneering work in reviving the craft of cast iron construction have made the firm a worldwide leader in the design and manufacturing traditional ornamental metalwork. Preserving traditional skills for the future The work of Utah's preservation " treasures" has benefited historic buildings in Utah and beyond. And by generously sharing their advice and expertise, these firms have contributed to many more successful projects that don't bear their names. But perhaps most importantly, these firms have helped lay the foundation for the future success of Utah's historic preserva-tion movement by keeping alive the traditional skills of thepast and training new artisans for the future. " We are so fortunate to also have these people here in our state," explains Utah Heritage Foundation Interim Executive Director Kirk Huffaker, " because they bring a technical artisan's craft directly to the layperson in classes and workshops on a regular basis. They all have the ability to teach and communicate with regular folks and provide them with excellent skills and a preservation knowledge base that is needed in the state." e Nelson Knight is Tax Credit Program Coordinator for the Preservation Office at State History. Wilson Martin is the State Historic Preservation Officer and Associate Director at State History. I 87 East 300 North Mt. Pleasant, Utah 84647 Tel: 435.462.9207 kimharch@ cut. net T.:--*:-, L> - - P :*.--- bd. m+ T , F T r c r n q , ; ~ ~ A a r c rCr r a c r r ~ r r , q I i T r Dedicated to the quality design, manufacture and installation of architectural cast metal ornament. Our craftsmen specialize in the restoration and replication of traditional - details in bronze, aluminum and iron alloy. l( 800) 255- 1414. 60 UTAH P R E S E R V A T I O N |
