Well, it’s a blustery day and the mason is home warming his feet making it the perfect opportunity to take photos of his artistry. As I covered in the last post, repointing is merely the act of removing old failing mortar and replacing it with new.
This bit is in the Pony Express yard and retains some of the original plaster that is still clinging to the wall after a hundred years. The mason has paid special attention to making his work look as natural as possible.
This view is of the back of the hotel where the repointing is partially complete. The lichen has been left intact in keeping with the Ghost Town Revival style and the new mortar color has been formulated to look as old as the building. But wait until you’ve seen what the mason has done to the window in the Pony Express yard.
In rebuilding the windowsill, the mason has selected burned bricks found on site to retain the scorched look of the fire that destroyed the Pony Express building in the 1870s. You will also note in the second picture that the mason has dug down to find the stone foundation which is the next clue in this mystery. The mason and I both agree that the original Pony Express floor is around 12″ lower than the current grade level and there must be all sorts of cools stuff to find if we dig it up.
