Thursday, July 1, 2010

Gravestone of the Day: John Fownell

John Fownell, 1673, Phipps Street, Charlestown, MA
IOHN FOWNELL
AGED 63 YEARES
DIED THE 19 OF MARC
1673

What is this material? It doesn't look like slate. It makes me wonder about the other materials Boston-area carvers experimented with in the early days of New England gravestones (1660s and 1670s).

2 comments:

David B. Appleton said...

It's hard to tell from just a photograph, of course, but the texture certainly reminds me of volcanic tuff, stone made from compacted volcanic ash.

Robert J. said...

I was also going to say volcanic tuff (if not cement) -- but I don't think you'll find any of that near Boston. Quite fascinating. I hope someone will visit it again and take a closer look.

—RJO