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.  A 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.

NaPoWriMo Day 24 –masonry

Masonry was the prompt for today! Here is a mason/poet who only writes of masonry!

Build it up

lift that stone
find the right one
make it fit
pick up another stone

note the standing wall on the right
Port Elmsley

eye it carefully
it just doesn't quite fit
don't throw it away
put it aside for another day
each stone is precious
alone
they do nothing
together
nested in amongst one another
they provide a firm foundation
a solid wall
an invitation
to set down roots
a lasting creation

I've been waiting for them to finish this beautiful set of pillars. They aren't yet done, which makes me imagine they are being done by a family member or a friend.
Perth, the town nearest to us, has a long history of masonry, with stone masons imported from Scotland to create some beautiful old buildings, dating back to 1816, when the town was founded.
Algonquin College teaches this craft. I've captured several videos of the students working. They do work repairing the buildings as part of their practicum. I happened by one day! The local stone, and the demobilized Scots officers with money, meant that they built a strong number of solid buildings.

Stone masons in Lanark County, renos and restaurants

I did mention we ate lunch out twice last week! Here is the second place we visited: The Masonry. The first was Generations Inn, a 100-year-old building!

It is a relatively new place in town, just opened up in September, which is fun. We pass by it whenever we go to our optometrist and we watched the workers as they renovated, and rebuilt.

There is nothing like the sound of hammers, with people looking after or refurbishing an old building. Most of these old buildings date back to 1816-17, when the town was settled.

I grew up in downtown Toronto, and our family home was about 150 years old at the time, the street named after a distant family member (Walker). My parents lived there from 1945 - 1991!

These buildings are very much influenced by the Scottish and Irish stone masons who were hired to do the work. Our local college teaches folks how to build and/or repair these buildings, as it is quite an art.

Yummy Lamburger and fries!

They've stripped the walls down to the brick.
It feels comfortable, but nicely appointed inside.

8 Wilson St. E.
Lovely doors.

The sedimentary limestone is ubiquitous
in Lanark County!

You can see them working to repair the old Perth Museum stone wall <= here and => in this post.

There is a large parking lot in Perth.
The mural decorates one of the buildings.

Outdoor patio at another restaurant!

This fabulous wall is in Carleton Place.

Many come to Perth for weddings!
The stone work a fine background.

Love the bridge stone work - Tay River

This building dates 1872

The Tay runs through it!

This decorates Algonquin College grounds!

This is a newly-opened antique store.

Our World Tuesday - more worlds here.

Antique store in Lombardy for sale!
You can see how many buildings have an addition.