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Divine Stone

Thank You Jose

“Jose’s Hands”. – Image Robert F. Rodriguez

Jose M. Tapia, Sr. Our Friend and Colleague, Please Rest In Peace, Your Work On Earth Is Done.

Jose Tablet
Tablet carved by his friend, Joseph Kincannon – Image Robert F. Rodriguez

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Divine Stone

April 19, 1911 at the Cathedral

April 19, 1911 at the Cathedral
April 19, 1911 – Consecration of the Choir, Crossing and two Chapels – St Savior and St. Columba. Photographer F. B. Johnston, retrieved from the Library of Congress.
Consecration Invitation
Invitation to the Consecration – Museum of the City of New York

Leading up to April 19, 1911 at the Cathedral, several milestones have taken place. Some of these were engineering feats never seen previously. Much was accomplished in those 18 years.

1893 – Excavation Begins

1895 excavation for the Cathedral
Excavation for the Cathedral. – Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library.

Building the Massive Granite Foundations and Piers

Foundations for the Stone Arches

1899 – Services Begin in the Crypt

Crypt Interior, Tiffany Chapel
Crypt Interior, Tiffany Chapel 1899. – Photo New York Public Library1

1899 – Great Eastern Arch is Finished

Keystone being placed in Great Eastern Arch
Irma and Paul Milstein Division of the United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library. (1899). Manhattan: Amsterdam Avenue – Cathedral Parkway Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org

1901 – Belmont Chapel (St. Savior) is Underway

1903 -Installation of the Eight Monumental Granite Columns

1903 – Fundraising Push

Three New Arches
New York Times – March 30, 1903

1904 – First Use of Mohegan Golden Granite on the Walls of the Choir and the Apse.

Cladding with Mohegan Golden Granite

1906 – King Chapel (Chapel of St. Columba) is Underway

1907 – George Heins, architect, partner in the firm Heins & LaFarge, dies, voiding the contract between the firm and the Cathedral. The Trustees retain Grant LaFarge to complete Crossing, Choir and High Altar.

1908 – Bishop Henry Codman Potter Dies. He led the effort to build the Cathedral from the laying of the cornerstone.

1908 Installation of The Guastavino tile ceiling and roof over the Choir completed.

Guastavino Choir Roof

1909 Temporary Guastavino Dome over Crossing is complete

America's Largest Dome
Completed Dome – Archives of the Cathedral

1909 to 1911 – The Completion of Interior Stone Work on the Choir and Chancel

Stone Cladding on Pier
Jasper, Serpentine, Dolomite and Frontenac Limestone Cladding going up on interior Piers
April 19,1911 at the Cathedral
One of the Ardolino Brothers Carving a Capital on one of the Monumental Columns, 200 feet above the Choir floor.
Crossing.from Choir
Looking West from Chancel at the temporary wall to future Nave

The Consecration on April 19, 1911 at the Cathedral concludes the first phase of construction. The foundations for the Nave would begin in 1916. World War I and the lack of funds caused it to stop. The laying of the Cornerstone for the Nave will not happen until 1925. A month after the Consecration, the Trustees dismiss architect LaFarge. Immediately, they install Ralph Adams Cram as consulting architect.

On the left, the eastern end of the Cathedral as seen from Morningside Drive. On the right, the western end of the Crossing walled in. The Nave will begin at this point more than a decade later.

  • The majority of the images shown here are from the Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, New York Public Library, unless otherwise noted.
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Divine Stone

Divine Stone’s Second Anniversary

Divine Stone's Second Anniversary

We have finished year two of the Divine Stone blog. We are looking back at the last year and looking forward to the stories for the next year. Twenty new stories relating to the stone work on the Cathedral of St. John the Divine were posted in the last year. These, along with the first 52 stories, can all be accessed through our archives. Divine Stone’s second anniversary is a time for us to reflect on the 100 plus years of stone work embodied in this wonderful Cathedral.

Looking Back

Last year we predicted a certain number of stories we were going to be posting. Some of them we got to, others we’re still looking forward to finishing. As the late Mary Bloom told me; “Sorry for the delay, but life got in the way.” Barbara and I moved from our perch high above Barton Creek in Austin to a little spot next to the Santa Fe River in Northern New Mexico. You can connect to last year’s predictions HERE.

Going Forward

There will always be stories from the Dean Morton era stoneyard and the Southwest Tower. We also want to get a perspective from David Zatz, blacksmith and tool-maker. The Nave construction will be reviewed as well as some carvers from the 1930’s and 1940’s.

During the last year we were privileged to connect with two experts currently at the Cathedral – Wayne Kempton, Archivist and Tom Fedorek, Senior Guide. We thank them for their support and contributions. Mark continues to work a broad agenda of national magazine articles and discussions with individuals about grant money for travel and research. He also has had discussions with a screenwriter very interested in the story and she suggested bringing the idea to Lin-Manuel Miranda of Broadway fame whose birthplace was Spanish Harlem. Mark keeps finding things for us to dream about.

We always welcome our readers’ comments, guest authors and storytellers.

As always, please stay safe,

Roger Murphy & Mark Saxe

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Divine Stone

Letters To Jose

Letters to Jose
photo by Robert F. Rodriguez.

Jose Tapia, friend and co-worker of so many at the stoneyard of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine is in hospice care. His family is close by. Many of his associates at the Cathedral have posted their memories and appreciation to their friend, Jose, in these “Letters to Jose” along with photos supplied by Robert Rodriguez.

Letters to Jose
Eddie Pizzaro, Angel Escobar and Jose Tapia, kneeling, pose next to a pinnacle under construction on July 11, 1988. – Photo Robert F. Rodriguez

Back in The Day …

Jose always stood out as a genuine person. There was an innocent earnestness about him that would quickly put people at ease. He was generally an easy going individual, but would let you know when you were out of line. He was charismatic and friendly, but direct in his instruction.

When he was cutting stone his concentration level was all-consuming. He was a hard worker who would lose himself in the stone work. Naturally gifted at working with his hands, people often stood and watched Jose’s skillful chiseling technique. He was a no-nonsense stone cutter. He cut stone with an unhurried ease, and his finished work stood apart in its quality and grace.

Jose was also generous with his knowledge, and on hand to instruct those willing to work hard and learn. He was very patient which was a gift in this arduous trade, and his general knowledge of the workings of the stone yard was valued, and depended upon. Jose would often give helpful advice to the new sawyers, or anyone who needed guidance.

Aside from his stone cutting skills, he also had a steady hand in the construction of the tower:

Letters to Jose
Master Builder James Bambridge keeps an eye on Jose Tapia’s progress on March 17, 1981. – Photo Robert F. Rodriquez

Jose,

You were probably the most productive out of all of us at the Stone Yard, not only in cutting stones but setting them too. From the first day up on the tower you were all business and it was soon clear that fixing as many stones as quickly as possible was your aim and you were most successful in accomplishing that. You took great pride in your work at the Cathedral and rightly so.

One of my favorite memories is when you boasted that gablet springer with your 1/2″ chisel. That stone stood boldly apart from the others which had the standard 2″ tool marks and it looked fantastic though I was unsure how the master builder would receive it: as it turned out, his eyebrows were indeed raised but the stone made its way up to its place on the tower. You certainly left your mark on the cathedral and your colleagues, and your contributions to the Stone Yard and Tower are invaluable.

-Steve Boyle

Letters to Jose
Jose Tapia poses next to a tracery stone on April 24, 1986. He joined the Cathedral program when he was 19. – Photo Robert F. Rodriguez

Jose,

If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think I would have stayed that long at the yard.

It was with your help that I was able to build up my confidence and perseverance. Remember Jose when I purchased that Dodge Dart with a slant 6 engine? My very first car. I think at the time you had the LeMans, the mistress on the street you would say.

One day Betsy (my Dodge) wouldn’t start but I remembered what you told me to do in that case. Place the screwdriver against the firewall and the poquito to start old Betsy up. And I have to say that my friends were all very impressed. Funny though now I know it’s called the starter. You have always been a kind and gentle person, always the first to reach out to help someone with anything.

-Poni Baptiste

Letters to Jose
All Rivera, Jose Tapia and James Jamerson laugh over a tracery stone on April 24, 1986 – Photo Robert F. Rodriguez

Jose,

When I came off of the saw and first started cutting, with mallet and chisel, you took me under your wing and showed me how to use the pneumatic hammer (gun). You were generous with your tools and really pushed me forward. I had struggled mightily up to that point and, because of your encouragement, finally felt that I was moving forward as a stone cutter, part of the team.  You pulled me out of a rut.  Later, Bambridge took me off the gun and put a mallet back in my hand, so I went back to struggling, but at least I had the much needed self- confidence to forge ahead – due to your patient guidance.  I’ll always appreciate the ladder you lowered down to me.

-Joseph Kincannon

Letters to Jose
Jose Tapia poses with his wife Doris Torres on a stack of stones following the apprentice ceremony at the Cathedral on June 8, 1983. Jose, James Jamerson and Tim Smith represent the first class of stonecutters to complete the four-year apprenticeship program. – Photo Robert F. Rodriguez

My Uncle Jose

I can’t remember how old exactly, maybe around 6. He was a very young child, along with his brother. They came from P.R. to NYC to live with their aunt (my dad’s mother) because his parents had died from a car accident, 

 My dad said that my uncle was into a lot of things in his younger years: 

He was a good swimmer. He was really into baseball. He has a passion for music and loved DJing at special events. He passed it onto his son. He also loved flying birds ever since he was a young boy. He would go up to the roof and fly and train pigeons.

He was always good with his hands and always loved construction and building homes, building whatever he could be handy with.

Jose has always been into having and maintains his huge fish tanks. He would love to watch them for hours. He had all types of fish. Especially, his piranhas. He loved those things.”

-Angela Garcia (Daughter of Angel Escobar) 

Apprentice Graduation
Jose Tapia’s Guild Certificate

Hello Jose,

I have been thinking so often of the Stoneyard group at the Cathedral. Such a wonderful company of men and women with wonderful skills which Jim Morton admired so much.  He was devoted to you and the Work you did from the very beginning.
Here we all are these many years later and how great it is that all of you keep in touch. I am honored that I am included in the group!  And I am sending you many wishes for good days in North Carolina and all my affectionate greetings,    

-Pamela Morton

Job Ticket
Apprentice Jose Tapia’s First Stone

Dear Jose,

We so recently got back in touch, it was wonderful to have contact again and know that some relationships endure. You were a leader at the stone yard. I admired you and felt that you had my back, for whatever reason. With love.

-Amy Brier

A proud James Bambridge discusses this stone with the cutter Jose Tapia – Image Robert F. Rodriguez

For Jose

When I was accepted as an apprentice, Jose was the first person to embrace me. He was like a little brother. I was extremely nervous but he kept telling me I would do well.
If I wasn’t certain about something he was there to guide me. I would observe how he cut stones, and I tell you, it was like magic! One minute there was a giant piece of stone, and the next minute, it was like a beautiful figure had formed. 
He is one of the best people I know. He is also a great family man. The love Jose showed for his wife and son was that of a proud man. He used to bring them to work from time to time. 
Now Jose was not without laughter. Sometimes if I became frustrated, he would laugh but then he would help me out because there was no room for errors, in the Stone Yard. 

-Carol Hazel

Group Shot
Group Shot

For Jose,

When Dean Morton set out to build the tower, 
he was also building a community; 
Jose rose to the challenge on both counts. 
He was the keystone of the stone yard,
without his dedication, hard work and generosity, 
that arch would have failed. 
He was the rock that we all leaned on.
In our innocence, we were all brothers building a Cathedral; 
and I was happy to call him – FRIEND. 

— Nick Fairplay

Stonecutters Jose Tapia, Tim Smith and James Jamerson pose by cut stones in May, 1983. The three are the first to complete the four-year apprentice program and were honored in June with a ceremony in the Cathedral

For Jose,

You get what you give. So I always wished that Jose’s kindness, patience, and respect that he showed to all his apprentices would come back to him tenfold. God bless you, man

-Joe Chiffriller

The Divine Stone Project has had occasion over the last two years to post several times about Jose and his work. We also have been the grateful recipient of his efforts to bring his colleagues in touch with us. Thank you Jose for all your contributions. Below are some links to other posts involving Jose.

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Cathedral Stone

“With Companions For The Journey”

With Companioons For The Journey

“An annotated memoir of the life and work of James Parks Morton for his family, friends and colleagues.”

-Pamela Morton and Polly Barton

The multifaceted Dean Morton takes us on an inspirational journey recounting his extraordinary life and many causes. The memoir is available for download HERE. And yes…there is a chapter on the stoneyard.

Of the many passages and stories to be enjoyed is the one where he saves the great Guastavino Dome. A committee had deemed the dome unsafe after mortar began falling to the floor of the Crossing. Their vote to tear down the dome and build a tower was imminent. Dean Morton, very early in his position, asked Bishop Moore to stall the decision. He had an engineer friend in Chicago who he called in to evaluate the situation. The engineer concluded that the problem was the difference in contraction and expansion between dissimilar materials – the clay tiles in the dome and the granite columns and arches. The solution was simple insulation for the roof of the dome and netting below for extra insurance. The 3 million dollars saved could then go to the future Stoneyard Institute.

Gazing at the Dome

“I looked up at the dome again. Amazing. I thought back in 1909, it was supposed to be temporary, and it had stood all this time. I marveled at the craftsmanship of Guastavino tile. It had been laid without scaffold or support. The architect in me rebelled at the idea of tearing it down.

But something else began to happen in me as well. Later I would learn that it happened to many of the men and women who became my colleagues. None of us is really able to describe the experience. It isn’t exactly awe, and it isn’t that the place talked to any of us. Maybe it was that the place seemed charged with an energy that was calling out to be used before it was lost for good.

Whatever it was, I knew after a few minutes gazing, that I would never permit that dome to be torn down. Furthermore, I vowed to start building the Cathedral again and to fill it with activity, life, and light. White elephant, nothing. We would use its vast scale to move even a city as big as New York to action, healing and communion.”

– James Parks Morton, 1972, from the book, With Companions for the Journey

Before the memoir, I wished I had known him. After the memoir, I regret I had not.

  • A special thanks to Pamela Morton and Polly Barton making the memoir accessible.