As we come to the end of our fourth year of posting stories about the stonework at the cathedral and the people involved with those stones, we are approaching a new phase in the work. Four years ago Mark Saxe was sure that a book about the stoneyard was not only needed but it would be a wonderful story. The blog began as a vehicle to highlight research for a book so people could see that their story was being worked on.
Along the way we were fortunate to meet up with Robert F. Rodriguez, that amazing photo journalist who recorded the activities in the stoneyard for more than a decade. We are also grateful to have connected with Tom Fedorek, senior guide and Wayne Kempton, cathedral and diocesan archivist. Additionally, we are indebted to all the men and women who worked on the stone and shared their stories. There are now 110 small stories, 70,591 words and 693 images on the site.
There are about 20-25 story lines that should be fleshed out, mainly in the Stoneyard Institute period; we will continue that work. The research on the 1892-1911 work under Bishop Potter and Heins & LaFarge architects is complete. The second period of construction, 1920-1945, under Bishop Manning and Ralph Adams Cram, architect, is almost there. So, it is time to begin weaving these snapshots of stories together into a draft manuscript. And so, we begin…
Much work ahead for all involved, please assist us when we cry out for help with information.
■