At a certain point in any construction project you begin to notice things coming together, and you view the project in a different way. You are able to identify the building as something greater than the sum of its parts. This week I believe we reached that tipping point. The addition of cobblestones and permeable pavers give our alley a distinct identity. Slap some old limestone curbs onto the base of the greenhouse and it becomes a thing of beauty. Doorways and trim begin to separate and identify rooms within the building. Walking through the El Moore this week I could finally see what it has become – a charming, sun-filled living space that will soon be ready for renters and those passing through the city. It’s exciting!
I wanted to tell one story this week. We have many interesting stories about the materials we find and repurpose, but the cobblestones probably hold the most fascinating origin. These are granite stones that originated in Europe and, according to the seller of the stones, were used in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s as ballast on ships coming to America. Here in the US they were then used to pave streets of the east coast until the early 1900’s when they were removed to make way for cement roads. They will now serve as a border between the cement and permeable paver sections of our alley. These granite stones have been on quite a journey!
Here are this week’s photos.
