McCormick Masonry
1700 South Allen Rd. S
Allen, MI 49227
517-869-2684 or
email using link
  • Home
  • About
  • Before and After
  • Other Projects
  • Cultured Stone
  • Commercial Projects
  • Contact
  • Mortar Mouth
    • On Concrete and Goldenrod
    • Unanticipated Hundreds
    • Getting the Freaking Lead Out
    • Keeping My Ambitious Readers Protected
    • Swooping All About
    • Ching-Ching!
    • Love the Roly Polys
    • Just Hop On In
    • One Bridge I'd Like To Walk
  • Blog

For The Ladies

10/28/2016

0 Comments

 
In 1867 the Ladies’ Oak Grove Cemetery Association was formed, to beautify the grounds that many locals considered an embarrassment. In 1870 the association financed an intricately cut and engraved sandstone archway at the cemetery’s original entrance. A girl scaled the arch around 1960, fell off and broke her arm, so the unfortunate decision was made to raze the arch—for “safety reasons.” The heavy stones were cast to a pile into woods adjoining the cemetery. 

I built a base of fieldstone and stones salvaged from the arch, and atop this were set two of the big, original stones, in homage to those Ladies of Hillsdale. They did a fine job. Oak Grove is a fetching place nearly 150 years later, with trees that old. 

Here are start-and-finish shots. Not pictured are a pair of concrete benches, fashioned after a stone one at a nearby grave. 
Picture
The central base stone is a portion of the original keystone, which I inverted because the wider end was flat and the narrow end was not. Also had in mind “symbolism” of some sort, an upside-down arch piece silently rueing its relegation from great height to ground; something along those lines. 
Picture
A bronze plaque tells the whole story. If you can read it here, you have frighteningly good eyes. 
0 Comments

Dog Repair

10/18/2016

0 Comments

 
McCormick Masonry takes on quite an array of important projects, including concrete Terrier tail repair. Here I’m smoothing the adhesive in one of the dog’s nether regions. 

The dog required no anesthetics for this operation. 
Picture
0 Comments

    Sasha Becicka

    Daughter of John McCormick, and website designer/builder.

    John McCormick

    (mason, photographer, writer)

    Toni McCormick

    (stone collector and editor)

    Archives

    March 2022
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    August 2018
    June 2018
    November 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015

    Mortar Mouth
About
Before and After
Other Projects

Cultured Stone
Commercial Projects
Contact
Mortar Mouth
Blog