CARMEL STONE
Carmel stone is used extensively in Carmel. You will see it in many historic buildings like Harrison Memorial Library.
It is used in businesses such as Wittpenn’s Antiques
and in countless residences.
Once cheap and easy to find, it is sedimentary shale with lovely creamy yellow, rust, orange, and pink and caramel iron oxide striations.
It is typically softer and more porous than other types of building stone and much more likely to degrade with time and exposure to the elements. The Carmel Mission was one of the earliest local structures made from it more than 200 years ago.The Mission has undergone extensive stonework renovation. As you can see this porous quality provides opportunities for small plants to grow in the rock, further eroding it.
I read an article in The SF Gate about the stone and stonemason Michale Mahoney who learned to cut and build with Carmel Stone in the 1970s. Mahoney has been building with the stone since then. He is also a rock guitarist who studies manuals on Moorish arches and builds the chiseling hammers he uses to achieve his hand-hewn work. As a child, he was a bell ringer at the Mission where he watched Harry Downie do his work in restoring the Mission.
Below are some examples of Carmel Stone used in gates,
fireplaces,
walls,
entry paths and steps,
doorways,
and facades
This home on Scenic is a wonderful example.
Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea 
Very interesting to see uses of Carmel stone in different buildings.
Beautiful and informative. Thanks!
So pleased that you are blogging again. You were missed.
Beautiful pictures and interesting to know about stonemason Michale Mahoney .
Interesting history on Carmel stone – which is beautiful. But, if the stone is so porous, do the homes in the area that are constructed with Carmel stone suffer from deterioration?
I just love Carmel and thought this story about the stone and the rock musician were both fun..
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Thanks again for a “little trip” to Carmel. We have admired the stone facings and architectural designs in the buildings in Carmel; just ambling through the streets (sometimes getting lost) on cool days meeting people and soaking up the charm. We will be in Carmel again for the art festival. How about an article about the art on Carmel? I appreciate your blog and encourage you to continue.
So glad you are posting again!!!
Oh wow, what a wonderful end to a horrid week! “A little trip to Carmel” is right. What beautiful workmanship. I love the Mission, but did not know it was made of Carmel stone, so thank you. We have visited all but two California Missions in our travels. We visited Tor House once and was intrigued with the use of the different stones, some from the ocean I recall. Do you have a story and photos on that? I don’t recall one. Happy Easter everyone.
What a wonderful surprise in our inbox! Thank you for your remarkable photos and delightful history lessons. My husband and I are in our 80’s and sadly haven’t been able to visit Carmel for 2 years. We usually stayed at Doris Days fabulous fun dog friendly inn with our bichons over the years. We also enjoyed a complex with four cottages and a magical cottage garden over the years. (Would love to know their history.) I’m so grateful to read your posts and enjoy a mini vacation. How fortunate you are! Thanks for sharing. Dick & Gayle Warrington, and Rowdy.
From: Once upon a time..Tales from Carmel by the Sea To: rwarrington@sbcglobal.net Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 3:53 PM Subject: [New post] CARMEL STONE #yiv1749870492 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv1749870492 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv1749870492 a.yiv1749870492primaryactionlink:link, #yiv1749870492 a.yiv1749870492primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv1749870492 a.yiv1749870492primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv1749870492 a.yiv1749870492primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv1749870492 WordPress.com | Linda Hartong posted: “Carmel stone is used extensively in Carmel. You will see it in many historic buildings like Harrison Memorial Library.It is used in businesses such as Wittpenn’s Antiques and in countless residences.Once cheap and easy to find, it is se” | |
This is a poorly written blog. The author needs an editor.
Why in the world would you want to be a jackass, Colin? Because you most certainlya are a jackass with your silly, toxic words.
(You might want to check the edit on this comment).
Linda-thank you for your posts. We are so happy you’re back and God Bless your sweet family during such hard times.🦋🦋
Amazing photos, as always. I didn’t know about Carmel stone. Thank you for sharing.
linda,
Trying to send a recent post to “Sandy” on Fables She just bought Doll House next to us and she did a post for us and I replied but it seems to need “notification”. Can you send my reply as it is urgent. Thanks, Roger Sanger >
Glad you’re back! Good article on the stones!
Hello Ms Hartong! I’m so happy I found your blog! I can’t find your email address though, so I hope asking you here is all right:
I am getting married in a few months and I’ve been looking for the right image to use for my wedding invitations. I found a photograph you took in 2008 of a cardinal feeding his mate (https://www.flickr.com/photos/46422632@N00/2449770721) and I was hoping to get your permission to use it. My fiance and I really love it.
Please respond to me soon, and thank you so much.
Thank you so much for your blog. I love it. Your photos are gorgeous. Carmel is a fairyland. I need to plan another trip.
My Grandmothr’s home on Monte Verde was made of Carmel Stone. It is across from the playhouse. Beautiful stone, lovely memories!
Another delightful post! Thank you so much for the lovely photos and information.
Thank you for sharing the pictures and commentary on Carmel Stone. It seems to be similar to the stone we have used to build structures here in the Austin area. Ours is limestone and also erodes easily. They say there used to be an ocean over this part of Texas and the limestone has a variety of colors and even fossils embedded in it. Makes for interesting flooring! :-). Please ignore the critical poster…. I reread this blog and can’t even understand what he is talking about! I’m looking forward to a visit to Carmel this summer and will look forward to future posts from you!
I sure miss your posts!