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Fairplay’s Elijah

Fairplay's Elijah
Nicholas Fairplay with his finished work. Photo by Robert F. Rodriguez

Master Builder James Bambridge had in mind to erect the pinnacle on the West Front simultaneous to the Southwest Tower. Based on the Cram designs, this would include the 9 1/2 foot statue of Elijah. On the same level and towards the Northwest Tower would be the same size statue of Moses. Fairplay’s Elijah was carved to meet these designs.

West Front design by Ralph Adams Cram – Circle indicates the statue of Elijah.

Around late 1985, while Nick Fairplay taught carving to the apprentices in the stoneyard, he began carving the statue of Elijah. The process started with a full size model.

Fairplay's Elijah
Nicholas Fairplay adds clay to the armature of his model on Dec. 12, 1985 that will serve as his guide for his giant Elijah statue. He will carve the nine-and-one-half-foot Elijah from a three-ton block of limestone. – Photo and Caption Robert F. Rodriguez

The stone yard received truckloads of rough quarried blocks from the Indiana quarry. A dimensional block sized for the statue would have been a custom order. Fairplay made due with what was in the yard and that required the statue to be made of two pieces. The head and shoulders are a separate piece of limestone.

Rough Quarry Blocks 1980
View of raw limestone blocks stacked and waiting to be cut, April 13, 1981. The lower stone, third from the right, bears the destination – St. John – written in crayon on the side. – Photo and Caption Robert F. Rodriguez
Fairplyay's Elijah
Nicholas Fairplay rough cuts his three-ton block of limestone on March 19, 1986 from which will emerge his a nine-and-one-half-foot Elijah. – Photo and Caption Robert F. Rodriguez

Perspective and Foreshortening

In his previous training and work on churches in England, Nick had observed the uniqueness of statues that were very high up on the structures. He also found examples inside the Houses of Parliament when he worked on restoration there. Enlarged, often bizarre shaped heads, were made so that the viewer from far below got a normal vision of the piece.

The head of Fairplay’s Elijah would be at an elevation of 250 feet above the bottom of the Cathedral. The best view would be across Amsterdam Avenue and down a bit on 110th Street. Medieval carvers would angle the piece on a hinged contraption, getting the correct degree to correspond with the angle of the most likely view of the person on the ground or floor. The drapery as well will appear flared out from the viewers perspective. Nick placed his stone at a 60 degree angle to get this perspective correct. The statue is a stylized sculpture meant for the viewer on the street.

Nicholas Fairplay works on the folds of his carving of the prophet Elijah on June 2, 1986. Fairplay works on a three-ton block of limestone that will turn into a nine-and-one-half-foot Elijah. To the right is his full-size clay model. Photo and Caption by Robert F. Rodriguez
Fairplay's Elijah
The face of Elijah begins to emerge as Nicholas Fairplay chisels out folds in the robe of the prophet on June 2, 1986. – Photo and Caption by Robert F. Rodriguez
Fairplay's Elijah
Nicholas Fairplay works on his nearly completed Elijah on Sept. 10, 1986. He started with a three-ton block of limestone to carve the nine-and-one-half-foot statue. – Photo and Caption Robert F. Rodriguez

Fairplay’s Elijah

Fairplay studied 14th Century sculptures to arrive at his likeness for Elijah. Unlike many of his predecessors at the Cathedral, he created the sculpture and then carved the likeness in stone by himself, by hand. He used a pointing machine to translate the detail of the model to the stone. Climbing up to work on the upper portion, then back down to find another tool, or shifting to the other side added many hours to the carving of this large statue.

Nick Encounters Master Carver Palumbo

Nick told us a story about when John Walsh took the whole stone yard to visit and tour the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. He found himself in the office of Vincenzo Palumbo, Master Stone Carver, talking about statues. Mr. Palumbo referred to a statue he had carved and was proud to say that he transferred 4,000 points from the model. He asked Nick how many points he used for Elijah. Nick responded that he used 100 points. Mr. Palumbo told him to “get out, and don’t come back”.

Fairplay's Elijah
Nicholas Fairplay, “Elijah” and Dean Morton

Elijah Not Seen

Due to a change in focus, the pinnacle and tympanum were not built. There was no niche for Elijah. At first, The statue was on view near the Narthex. After some time, Elijah disappeared . We began asking around about the whereabouts of the statue, very few remembered it. Robert Rodriguez remembered Chris Pellettieri pointing at something in the crypt recently and saying “that’s Nick’s statue”. Robert had Chris take him back to the spot so he could document Elijah’s existence.

Fairplays Elijah
Elijah – Torso and legs in a crate in the Crypt – Image Robert F. Rodriguez
Elijah – Head and Shoulders, blanket wrapped in the Crypt – Image Robert F. Rodriguez

We are glad this unique carving has been stored and preserved. Hopefully one day the world will see Fairplay’s Elijah in his intended destination.

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  • We are grateful to Robert Rodriguez for documenting the creation of Elijah some 36 years ago and his present day location.
  • Thanks to Chris Pellettieri for remembering where Elijah is resting.
  • More about Nick Fairplay at fairplaystonecarver.com

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