Hammerhead Stoneworks

Click the image for a larger view.

This drystone wall connects two columns in a Montford backyard. The redial steps are visible in the distance. Another wall segment will continue from the furthest column and turn at the bank. Most of the stone is a granitic gneiss: heavy, sharp and cantankerous. And it makes a lovely wall. Quarried a few miles outside of Asheville, it looks like it belongs here because it does.

In the photo below, find the green marble tucked in the joinery. In the bottom photo, there’s a pool ball.

This is the start of a drystone wall that runs between two columns in the radial steps project. One column is visible in the image; the setback and batter of the wall are clearly shown.

High temp on Wednesday was about 35. I’m looking forward to the day when I can swing the hammers unimpeded by so many layers- at least seven in this photo.

I just added a new portfolio page about the recently completed dentist wall and bench. The image above links to the page. On the page itself, the same image links to a monster panorama.

We got about a foot of snow on Friday. Click the above image for a huge view.

Click the above image for a huge view.

I’ve just added a page about the Eight Leaves, Nine Stories patio pictured above. Click the image to explore the creation of the patio.

This looks more like a crime scene than job site. I set up lights to work later on Monday, talking advantage of the lovely weather. Today’s nasty rain and tomorrow’s threat of wind gusts up 55 mph makes me glad I did.

These two benches were cut from the same slab of Tennessee sandstone. The first was built as a free-standing structure in a Chapel Hill neighborhood to celebrate the life of one of their most beloved members, Grandpa Tony. The bench is mortared and features an adjacent boulder with a small plaque. I call this type a castle block bench, named after the material used for the base stones. The second bench is in Asheville, adjacent to a sidewalk. The sitting stone, seatback and arm rests were all cut from same stone as Grandpa Tony’s bench. It is a drystone structure and built directly into the retaining wall.
Next spring I will be leading a hands-on class at the Arboretum on making a stone bench. We’ll be building a castle block bench together that day. The official class date hasn’t been announced, but let me know if you’d like to be updated when the class registry opens.

Building on a radius like this always make me think of castle turrets and David Macaulay books.