Divine Stone

For over 30 years, Mohegan Golden Granite quarried in Yorktown, New York was inextricably tied to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Through three different quarry owners, from 1898 to the mid-1930’s, this warm buff granite was used on the Cathedral exteriors.

Mohegan Granite Geology

Granite ledges in the Sylvan Glen area of Yorktown were quarried by farmers in the 1880’s for their own use. In 1890 the Mohegan Granite company began. The granite bedrock in Sylvan Glen formed in the Devonian Age, about 370 million years ago. Molten magma flowed upward through faults in the overlying rock. Eventually, after cooling, the solid granite became gradually exposed to crustal uplift and erosion.

Granite contains three key minerals: feldspar, mica, and quartz. Thus the configuration and amount of these minerals determine the rock’s color. The Mohegan Quarry produced two shades of granite, a light gray stone with a pinkish tone well suited for carvings, as well as a golden or buff colored stone. This latter stone is known as “Mohegan” or “Golden” granite. It is prized for its warm mellow hue. The color is due to the presence of a little limonite stain. Limonite is an iron ore. This stain is distributed along the borders and microscopic cracks of the quartz and feldspar.

The Connection to the Cathedral

The Cathedral’s interest in the quarry began four years after the laying of the Cathedral’s cornerstone. In 1896 Heinz & LaFarge sought out sources of granite to be used in the construction of the Choir. They looked into the suitability of granite quarries from Maine to Minnesota. One of the firm’s partners, George L. Heins, lived in nearby Peekskill, New York. He was an avid hiker and it was on one of his hikes that he came across the quarry and the golden granite.

After a process of elimination that factored in durability, color and ease of working, the architects commissioned an analysis of the properties of both Mohegan and Maine granite. Suitable laboratory analysis concluded that the Mohegan Golden Granite would prove to be durable and satisfactory. In 1898, based on the analysis, the Cathedral’s trustees authorized the expenditure of $40,000 for the exterior of the Choir. The Cathedral would become the quarry’s largest and most sustained customer. The quarry was located just 38 miles north of the building site.

“We consider its [Mohegan’s] color very nearly the ideal color for such a building. It is not only light, but has sufficient warmth to prevent any appearance of gloominess and at the same time it is not so white as to make a glaring effect upon the eye. We consider it distinctly superior to the [Maine] stone in this respect.”

Heins & LaFarge

More Mohegan Granite Specified

Between 1911 and 1913, the Cathedral’s Synod House used Mohegan granite. As well it is on the Saint Columba, St. James and Saint Ansgarius Chapels. In many cases it appears that it is not load supporting but an exterior veneer.

In the early years, perhaps between 1898 and 1900, Evelyn P. Roberts was the President of the Mohegan Granite Company. Acting as a private citizen and not a representative of the company, he purchased adjoining land and then leased it to the Cathedral. This ensured supply of the stone for future Cathedral needs and added to the linkage between Cathedral and quarry.

Supplying Granite for the Nave

By 1917, Cram and Ferguson’s designs for the Nave were complete and construction was about to proceed. Competition was fierce from the Maine quarries. In June 1917, the Cathedral accepted the Mohegan proposal for $34,000. However, work did not proceed due to World War I. In April 0f 1920, the Cathedral Trustees voted to commence construction in the spring of 1921. This was subject to the raising of necessary funds, an estimated $500,000.

The Cathedral received bids from the Mohegan Quarry and a quarry in Maine for this phase of the nave’s construction. The Trustees made the decision to go with the Mohegan bid based on several reasons. One, of course, was the continuing use of the same stone. Another was the fact that the Mohegan bid was $110,ooo lower than the Maine bid. Additionally, they discussed the possibility of the quarry closing without new orders. The execution of the contract would greatly strengthen the quarry’s business and the availability of future stone orders.

In October 1920, the Cathedral entered into a $150,620 contract with Grenci & Ellis, the quarry’s new owner. The contract was for suppling and delivering about 17,500 cubic feet of granite. This granite was for the facing of the exterior walls of the nave up to a certain elevation and for the facing of the walls of the four bays adjacent to the Crossing.

Grenci & Ellis, Inc

The first commercial quarry dating to 1890 was the Mohegan Granite Company. Evelyn Pierrepont Roberts headed up this company. After successful dam contracts, the quarry sat idle for several years. In 1896-97 a reorganization occurred with new capital and E. P. Roberts as a director. The new company formed became the Mohegan Granite Quarrying Company. Later, sometime between 1919 and 1920 Bruno M. Grenci and Thomas H. Ellis acquired the company. Ellis was the long-time superintendent at the quarry under its previous owner.

Bruno Grenci immigrated to the United States 1n 1898 at age 15. In Italy, his family worked with stone. Once in America, Grenci worked in Maine, Vermont, Pennsylvania and New York. In 1900 he went to work in the Mohegan Quarry. He left and started his own business in 1904 and in 1917, in partnership with Thomas Ellis, he associated in the operation of the Mohegan Quarry. According to records, he inspected every piece of stone before it left the property.

More Than a Quarry

The new company’s major breakthrough came in 1925. The Cathedral awarded Grenci & Ellis a series of contracts for the Nave. These contracts amounted to $5 million. Once again, competition for these contracts between the Mohegan and Maine quarries was intense. With contracts for $5 million in hand, the new company undertook a modernization and expansion that enabled it to supply Mohegan granite for the Cathedral and finished granite from other quarries for other jobs. The greatest modernization took place in the granite sheds where increased fabrication abilities took place.

Quarry Methods

Grenci & Ellis upgraded quarrying methods as well. Over the quarry’s five decades of operation, steam drilling replaced hand drilling. Compressed air drilling in turn replaced steam in the mid 1920’s. The new drilling and splitting methods led to a one third increase in the amount of marketable stone they were able to produce.

At Mohegan, granite was difficult to split on flat, perpendicular planes, wasting the limited supply of golden granite. Deep hole splitting controlled the splitting, resulting in flatter planes, less waste and more usable stone

Another method used by the quarry was broach channeling. This efficient mechanical method for extracting large blocks involved drilling rows of closely-spaced holes with a compressed air drill. Then a wide broaching bit acts to remove the webs between the holes. A few strategically placed blasting powder charges freed the block from the quarry wall. Broach channeling was faster and lower in cost than other splitting methods. It helped the Mohegan Quarry conserve the most desirable stone.

In 1930, Grenci & Ellis bought the Mount Waldo quarry in Frankfort, Maine. The acquisition enabled the company to offer a wider variety of granite. Most of the Maine granite was shipped to Mohegan for finishing. This in turn allowed it to expand its market and secure additional contracts. The last known contract with the Cathedral was for stage 4 of the exterior of the West Front.

The Quarry Ceases Operations

The quarry ceased operations in 1941 and never reopened. The closing was due in part to new building techniques and materials as well as the halt in construction at the Cathedral. Today, the quarry is part of Yorktown’s 343 acre Sylvan Glen Park Preserve. 6.8 miles of trails wind amongst the abandoned quarry.

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• City of Yorktown, New York; Yorktown Trailtown Committee; yorktowntrailtown.org, Mohegan Quarry
• Milestone Heritage Consulting
• City Museum of New York, Digital Collections
• New York Public Library, Digital Collections
• Cathedral of St. John Divine Archives

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

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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

Building the Massive Granite Foundations and Piers

1899 – Services Begin in the Crypt

1899 – Great Eastern Arch is Finished

1901 – Belmont Chapel (St. Savior) is Underway

1903 -Installation of the Eight Monumental Granite Columns

1903 – Fundraising Push

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

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.

1909 Temporary Guastavino Dome over Crossing is complete

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

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.

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• 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.

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

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.

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:

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

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

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

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) 

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

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

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

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

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

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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.

• Apprentice Graduation
• The First Five Stones
• The Starting Five
• 40 years Ago