Hearst Church, Pinos Altos New Mexico- 2012
I was first inspired by the Hearst church while Reading Lambert Florin’s 1969 book “ Historic Western churches” I could imagine that a place named Pinos Altos would certainly be the kind of place I would want to be living back in 1898 or even now. Even with the lush forest resources, builders of the […]
Current Projects 2012
It has been a very busy and exciting year for Building in the Past. Besides starting back into ceramics and planning more buildings than I’ve made in the last four years, I have also started web and facebook pages to share my work. One of my goals when I started this adventure was to recreate […]
Saint Rose Catholic Church 2002
French Gulch, California 1899. This was my first piece, inspired by my visit to this lovely setting in Northern California’s Trinity Mountains. I have always loved simple wooden churches. The symmetry and weathered yet pristine whiteness of this building spoke to me through the arched doors and windows pointing to the heavens. Perhaps I […]
Dechambeau Hotel and I.O.O.F. Hall 2003
Bodie, California. Constructed 1879 Artists that work in any medium could find an abundance of inspiration in this quintessential ghost town. For me, recreating the Dechambeau hotel and Oddfellow’s building in Bodie was my way of preserving the history of this wonderful place, and the beauty of it’s weathered wood and pitted brick façade. It […]
Church of the Sacred Heart 2004
Church of the Sacred Heart, Cataldo Mission, Idaho. 1853 Besides being the oldest standing building in Idaho, Sacred Heart Mission is also one of the most unique historic churches in the West. In 1850 Father Antonio Ravalli, an Italian born Jesuit, began designing the Greek revival style church. From detailed plans, he used local resources, […]
Knights of the Pythias / Miner’s Union Hall 2005-06
Knights of the Pythias/ Miner’s Union Hall Building Virginia City, Nevada. 1876 The Beehive so masterfully created in brick and mortar on the peak of the Miner’s Union Hall in Virginia City Nevada in 1876 not only symbolizes the hard work that was going on in the mines, but the bustling growth of a Western […]
McCully Building 2006
McCully Building Jacksonville, Oregon. 1855 I was interested in attempting to create an all ceramic piece. I knew that I needed to find a building that had no or very little exposed wood. By now I had decided to begin making at least two copies of each piece, so that I could potentially sell […]
Bird Cage Theatre 2006-07
Birdcage Theatre,Tombstone, Arizona. 1881 Of any building in the West, which exemplifies the rough and rowdy lifestyle so typical of the Western American expansion era, The Birdcage theatre in Tombstone Arizona is on top of the list. Look at the facts; -Theatre, saloon, brothel, and gambling hall. -Open 24/7/365 for eight consecutive years. […]
Hotel Meade 2008-09
Hotel Meade,Bannack, Montana. 1875 In 1864 when the First Legislative Session was held in Bannack, it was named the County Seat of Beaverhead County. In 1875 an impressive brick building was built as the first Beaverhead County Courthouse, but by 1881 the gold rush to Montana was history. The citizens of Bannack fought to keep […]
Wells Fargo & Co’s Express 2009
Wells Fargo & Co’s Express, Silver Reef, Utah. 1877 I was instantly intrigued when I first saw this building in the Sunset pictorial “Ghost Towns of the West”. The black and white image, taken by famous photographer William Carter, Shows large rusting metal doors hanging precariously from corroded hinges. They were obviously there to […]
