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Page 5
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1803 townhouse with marble repaired and relayed
on proper foundation. Entry restored to single
doorway. Concrete sidewalk replaced with 19th
century brick pavers. |
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Conclusion
We work hard to return these old homes to a working system of built-in stability and self protection.
Correct materials. Sympathetic craftsmen.
To what end?
What is the value of all this effort?
Every day we look out at the world through mass produced plate glass.
We have become so accustomed to its relentless flatness and sameness that we register this vision as a kind of truth.
Stand for a minute in an 18th century parlor and gaze out the window. The sash of divided lights, each a small 6 by 8 inch piece of glass, allows us to see the world as others once saw it.
The glass is thick, and the thickness varies. It is full of imperfections, specs, and whorls that show the last movement of the liquid “gather” before it hardened into glass.
Seeing through the old glass, there is a real depth and a shining clarity… so much so that this new/old/new vision of the world gives a bit of a jolt.
It is this clear and shining vision that we work to preserve. |
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| Mark Mendel is a master stonemason, artist, teacher, and writer. He is the owner of Monterey Masonry LLC in Sheffield Massachusetts. www.montereymasonry.com |
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