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HISTORIC EXPORT OF WEST STONE TO THE USA

Wells Cathedral Stonemasons‘ transatlantic shipment for former employee

West-based Wells Cathedral Stonemasons, one of the UK‘s foremost proponents of preserving traditional stone masonry skills, is shipping local stone to the USA, to help a former employee to fulfil a project for one of the America‘s most historic houses.

The Cheddar-based company has sourced and shipped Portland stone from Dorset to provide a new memorial at Drayton Hall in Charleston, North Carolina – the southern states‘ oldest surviving plantation house, dating from 1738.

The request for the stone came from Simeon Warren, a former mason at Wells Cathedral Stonemasons, who is now a professor and faculty dean at the American College of Building Arts.

According to a Wells Cathedral Stonemasons director, Simon Armstrong:  “Drayton Hall is owned by the USA‘s National Trust for Historic Preservation, and is a unique example of a southern plantation house which, to this day, has no running water, electric light, or central heating.

“Drayton Hall was built with imported Portland stone from Dorset, so when our former colleague was asked to create a new memorial at this historic house, he contacted us to provide genuine Portland stone for the project”.

END               19th October 2006

For further information please contact Violet Ridge, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email violet@sturgessvandamme.co.uk