Church buildings; Ft. Wayne (Ind.); Matthews Brothers Stone Company
An image of the Temple for Achduth Vesholom Synagogue in Fort Wayne, Indiana, built in 1961 out of stone supplied exclusively by Matthews Bros. at a cost of $750,000.
Limestone mills; Employees; Stone-cutting tools--Angle grinders; Stone-cutting tools--Rip saws; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
Although saws were often employed to make long vertical cuts into the stone, some, such as the one pictured here were enlisted as angle grinders to make smaller cuts into larger pieces of stone.
Employees; Derricks; Quarries and quarrying; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
In this image, worker Joe Berry operates a Bull Wheel, a platform atop which derricks rested that could be rotated 360 degrees, allowing for derricks to transport stone in different parts of the quarry. "Return to Fred Barrett" written on back.
Stone carving; Employees--Stone carvers; Limestone mills; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
Here, stone carvers can be seen putting the finishing touches on some cherubs adorning panels intended for the facade of a building. Notice the man sitting on an old nail keg. Typically, carvers did not sit but stood.
Employees; Derricks; Quarries and quarrying; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
The derrick, a couple examples of which can be seen here, was among the most important technologies to emerge in the stone industry. Previously, cut stone required considerable numbers of men and animals to maneuver; with the advent of the derrick,...
Employees--Stone carvers; Stone carving--Friezes; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
In this image, carver Harold Elgar shows off a frieze destined for the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, MD, alongside mill owner Fred Matthews.
Limestone mills; Quarries and quarrying; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
An exterior shot of the factory, probably dating from the late 19th century. The block is painted with the number that corresponds to the drafting ticket for the mill.
Employees; Limestone mills; Quarries and quarrying; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
In this exterior shot of an early limestone mill, several figures can be seen posing in front of the workshops in the background. Stacked stone in the gang saws inside bar on the left onto diamond saw, which were inverted for the planer.
Steam power plants; Quarries and quarrying; Limestone mills; Matthews Brothers Stone Company
The advent of steam registered an enormous impact on the stone industry as steam power was harnessed to existing technologies ranging from the derrick to the saw. By the time this image was taken (ca. 1880), steam had already made deep inroads into...
