A TEAM EFFORT TO SET THE STRING COURSE
A cornice stone weighing several hundred pounds is carefully lowered into place by several members of the construction crew onto a bed of mortar on the south side of St. Paul’s tower.
But, before that block for the string course was set, many steps and many people were involved in this finished piece.
A September 1988 edition of Cathedral describes the process. Editor Jane Churchman writes:
“Today (José Tapia, James Jamerson), Pedro Colon, Angel Escobar, Eddie Pizarro, Carol Hazel, Theresa Robb, Yves Pierre, Alan Knight and Tony Quinto cut stones. Precisely. As Theresa warned, ‘You can’t be more than 1/16′ off.”
Jessica Aujero (Lowrie) carves a medieval forest spirit into a cornice. D’Ellis “Jeep” Kincannon fleshes out a classical leaf on a finial; Amy Brier details a caryatid; Dennis Reed sculpts an American buffalo on one of four pinnacle faces.
Talmadge Fowler and Gerry Perez wait as Harold Dorman drives stones to Wesley Rose, elevator operator, for the ascent to Stephen Boyle, construction supervisor, and setters Joe Chifriller, Edgar Reyes and Raymond Duggan.
Most important to Alan Bird, instructional mason, is the value of each stone. Its permanence. Each stone is different and each stone tells the story of the people who cut and carved it.”
Stepping back even further, each of the thousands of limestone blocks required for the tower has a unique number, which designates its position.
Following the original design by Ralph Adams Cram, Master Builder James Bambridge studies the blueprints to cut zinc templates and create job tickets so the apprentice stone carvers can accurately cut their stone.
Soon, a raw block with its corresponding job ticket lands on the banker of an apprentice stone cutter. When completed, the block is stored in the yard until a stone carver adds a uniquely designed carving to the block.
The block moves again, into the carving shed, and then back outside when carved.
Eventually it is moved to the south side of the Cathedral close for staging on the ground and, finally, it is hoisted into the lift to the tower summit for setting.
A team effort to set each stone.
The best place to view the string course carvings on the south façade is from the Peace Fountain on the Cathedral grounds.
One can sit on the stone benches surrounding the fountain while, perhaps, enjoying a coffee and croissant from the nearby Hungarian Pastry Shop. Years ago, many of the Stoneyard Institute crew would get their morning coffee from this neighborhood landmark.
The two-sided corner cornice stones on both sides of the south façade reveal some imaginative carvings.
Nicholas Fairplay’s carving on the SW shows a foliage creature with upturned and swirling leaves surrounding a face with an open mouth.
On the SE side Joseph Kincannon created a regal, well-coifed individual with gorgeous curly hair and a mustache that resembles a King on a deck of playing cards.
The centerpiece on this string course, also by Joseph, reveals a snarling square-faced demon with wide eyes, sharp teeth, yet dainty paws and ears.
Angel Escobar’s two carvings both show fantastic beasts, something Newt Scamander from the Harry Potter films might be searching for.
One of Angel’s works shows a beast with glaring eyes and a broad mustache practically drooping onto the stone below. The other carving resembles a feline animal with curls sweeping away from its face and high arched eyebrows.
One of the more interesting carvings on the south side came from a visiting French artist, Jerome Lantheume. It relates the story of Jonah and the Whale.
According to the Scriptures, Jonah was thrown overboard and was swallowed by a giant fish – not to eat him, but to save him from drowning. Jonah lived inside the great fish for three days until God took mercy on him, with the fish expelling Jonah onto the shores of Ninevah.
Jerome was one of the first carvers to come to the Cathedral in an exchange program with Les Compagnons du Devoir, the “Companions of Duty.” It is a French organization of craftsmen and artisans dating from the Middle Ages.
Carvings across the south façade string course, left to right:
- SW corner, open-mouthed grotesque by Nicholas Fairplay
- Lamb of God (Agnus Dei), carver unknown
- Foliage
- Wide-faced grotesque by Nicholas Fairplay
- Funny medieval peasant character by Ruben Gibson
- Foliage
- Wide-eyed demon by Joseph Kincannon
- Fierce creature with droopy mustache by Angel Escobar
- Foliage
- Feline figure by Angel Escobar
- Foliage
- Jonah and whale by Jerome Lantheume
- SE corner, curly haired King by Joseph Kincannon
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- Unless otherwise noted, all images are those of Robert F. Rodriguez, photojournalist and artist-in-residence at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine.