Backfill: A Stone Mason’s Art

A Stone Mason’s Art by Kate O’Brien For twelve years Jeff Gammelin and his crew have built stone walls, chimneys, and fireplaces that have a special flair. For Jeff, each project is a “composition of shapes and form.” Although not all of Gammelin’s projects are complex and expensive, some are very much so. Right now he and his crew are working on a fireplace that Gammelin describes as a “depiction of the geological history of the site.” The left side of the fireplace wall will be built from large cut granite pieces-one piece is as large as 3×7 on its face. These are meant to symbolize the bedrock at the site. The granite pieces become smaller as