Friday 16 September 2016

Dry Stone Legacy Bridge in Perth

more photos:
Canadian Dry Stone Festival

This project is  a bit different, as this is DRY STONE WORK. There is no cement involved! It is a massive project. As part of Perth, Ontario's 200th Anniversary, they are reimagining the old swimming pool and building the Dry Stone bridge. They began July 22nd.

Perth, Ontario, was founded in 1816, after the ware of 1812 was done, by the Scottish settlers, immigrants with a bit of coin, who imported Scottish stone masons. Their work can be seen throughout the city. You can see them working to repair the old Perth Museum stone wall.

I noticed the stones in the parking lot whilst visiting the park during Stewart Park Music Festival , then realized the plan. A bit of research was easy.

The Beginning July 16th




For the Canadian Dry Stone Festival, Perth hosted 40 professional dry stone masons, from across Canada, the UK, and the US, who do this kind of work. Dry Stone Canada is one of the sponsors of the project. Students of the Heritage Masonry Program at the Algonquin College Heritage Institute are the participants. This the Facebook page for Dry Stone Canada.

stone bridge Perth
The students began in the classroom, at the Algonquin campus. They imported stones from Les Carrières Ducharme (Quarries), from the saw shop in Havelock, Quebec. The students had to shape the geometry of the main project, and create individual templates for each stone. They use only traditional chisels and mallets to cut and dress the stones in the shop.

During the Festival (July 22 - 24), the students worked with the professional wallers. Next, the students boned-in (to true and square) the large stones, and cut out geometric voussoirs of the 12-foot span arch for the bridge.  voussoir is a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, used in building an arch or vault.[1]

July 29th 

I stopped for a peek. These photos are from the other side of the river. Lots of people hard at work.


 Sept. 1st

Hot, hard work!
 

Sept. 2nd


 

 Sept. 9th

 

Sept. 11

It was completed last weekend. On our way to town, Sept. 15th, we popped by.
Town staff were watering it down. There are a few things yet to be done, but it looks amazing.
There is a set of steps down to the pool.

6 comments:

Olga said...

Very cool! I love stone work.

William Kendall said...

Quite a project- and the result looks very worthwhile!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
...wish my uncle would take up computers - not even sure he has the internet...would love to forward this to him - he's still 'dyking' in his 70s and there is always work for him, due the skill level. His son (my cousin) is a stonemason with Scottish Heritage in Edinburgh. Good to see this beauty! YAM xx

Out To Pasture said...

I'm fascinated by dry stone work and wonder how or if our climate of freezing and thawing impacts it.

Red said...






dry stone is an interesting concept. they have to shape the stones and see the wall as they build it.

Anvilcloud said...

I must go and check it out some time.