Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Stories in Stone

Words: Jennifer MorrellI was introduced to another fantastic book recently, “Stories in Stone: Travels Through Urban Geology” by David B. Williams (Walker & Co., www.walkerbooks.com). Here’s an excerpt from chapter five, which talks about Castillo de San Marcos, a famous fort in St. Augustine, Fla., nicknamed “the clam.”

Carolina Governor James Moore was the first to discover the power of the clam when he lay siege to the Spanish colonial town of St. Augustine in 1702…As the siege progressed, Moore’s circle tightened. By November 24, he had located four of his biggest guns only 750 feet from the castillo…The cannon fire could not break the walls of the clamshell.

Moore’s men continued to dig their trenches closer to the fort, supplemented by erecting rows of gabions, rock-filled cages that provided a protected shooting site for gunners. They also burned the southern end of St. Augustine. By December 19, they had advanced to within pistol shot of the castillo, and still their artillery did little damage to the massive, spongy walls. They would get no closer.

Now that’s a story in stone.
 0
Bonding with Masonry 2026: Q2
June 2026

This issue’s questions come from a Mason Contractor and an Engineer. What questions do you have? Send them to info@masonrymagazine.com, attention Technical Talk.

David Biggs
Bonding with Masonry
Read More
The Thirty-Year Mason: Ergonomics as a Retention Strategy
June 2026

In most industry circles, the conversation around the labor shortage follows a predictable script: How do we find the next generation of masons? While recruitment is vital, we often overlook the most valuable asset already on the job site: the experienced

Shayne Sanders
MAP Partner
Read More
Acme Brick Company Releases 2026 Pocket Guide to Brick Construction
June 2026

For more than four decades, all the basics of building with brick have come in a guide small enough to fit into a pocket. Acme Brick has just released a 2026 version of its Pocket Guide to Brick Construction. And yes, it’s still printed on paper just like

MAP Partner
Read More
Masonry in the Media: Casa Azul, Chapultepec Castle, & More
June 2026

A film’s settings can take viewers to new locations, all from the comfort of their own home. It immerses them in the scenes, whether they take place in an opera house in Brazil or a grand mansion in Mexico City. Explore how these Latin American masonry ma

Lily Burger
Masonry in the Media
Read More