Leonard Masonry Receives Top Honors for Craftsmanship Nov
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 8, 2000 - Leonard Masonry Inc. has been awarded top honors for craftsmanship in the 1999 Excellence in Masonry Awards program presented by the Masonry Institute of St. Louis. Leonard Masonry claimed two Excellence Awards and one Merit Award in the competition, which honored St. Louis projects completed between 1997 and 1999.
In the commercial craftsmanship category, the St. Louis-based masonry contractor received the Excellence Award, the Institute's highest honor, for its brickwork on the Manchester United Methodist Church, and the Merit Award for the stonework on the St. Louis Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A total of 25 projects were entered in this category.
In the renovation craftsmanship category, Leonard Masonry received the Excellence Award for the difficult and intricate work required to duplicate the look of the existing 1907 granite and limestone structure on the Washington University Graham Chapel Addition. The addition was one of 10 projects submitted in this category.
The Manchester United Methodist Church required a high level of craftsmanship to install the massive field of diagonal brick-patterned brick on the south elevation of the church. Paul Gettinger, Leonard Masonry foreman, and his team created a diagonal pattern surrounding a stone-framed Rose window, which is further surrounded by a Grand Arch made up of a running bond pattern of special shaped bricks. Four limestone pilaster columns support the cornice and pediment above. Three smaller arches framing the same diamond pattern were constructed along the west elevation, just north of a large Ceremonial West entrance. An impressive masonry steeple base features a round window with limestone trim, including four limestone keystones used as accents. C. Rallo Contracting Company, Inc. was general contractor on the project. Gale A. Hill Associates, Inc. was the architect.
Mike Prothman, Leonard Masonry foreman on the St. Louis Temple, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints project, and his team demonstrated close attention to detail and extremely tight tolerances to clad the Temple in 2-1/4"-thick Bethel white granite panels, approximately 4'-0" wide by 8'-0" high with a thermal finish. A cast stone base, water table, pilasters, cornice and an arched window topped by a keystone, surround the granite panels. Templates were required for the interior radiuses granite with additional shaping and fitting with hand tools in the field. Extensive pre-planning and close coordination with the general contractor and architect were necessary to ensure quality control in completing the intricate masonry project. BSI Constructors Inc. was the general contractor and Chiodini Associates was the architect on the project.
Leonard Masonry was chosen by Washington University to create a seamless addition to Graham Chapel, a familiar campus landmark originally built around 1907. The challenge for Leonard Masonry project manager Brad Kasten and foreman Tom Carroll was to match the pitch, size, and color of the existing granite and limestone, as well as replicating the collegiate Gothic style that was popular on university campuses a century ago. All the work involved extensive field verification and time-consuming hand tooling. Special care also was taken to match the existing interior marble flooring in the main chapel. Helmkamp Construction Co. was the general contractor and Vinci-Hamp Architects was the architect.
Founded in 1959, Leonard Masonry Inc. has grown to be the largest masonry contractor in St. Louis, recognized for its fine craftsmanship and on-time work delivery within budget. Ranked as the eighth largest masonry contractor in the United States by ENR, Leonard Masonry is a four- generation, family-owned business. It has been the masonry contractor on many of St. Louis' landmark structures, including the Thomas F. Eagleton Federal Court House and Anheuser-Busch Hall at the Washington University School of Law. Current projects include Shaw Park Plaza and Forsyth Center in Clayton.