Wayah Bald has a vantage point of 5,342 ft. in elevation in the Nantahala National Forest, near Franklin, North Carolina. On a clear day, you can see north to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and south into the rolling hills of Georgia. Here are images of an old stone fire tower, built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, to witness panoramic views of the southern Appalachian mountain chain.
A stone engraving at the New Castle Historic Society building, New Castle, Delaware, depicting a hawk and a canyon, possibly signifying strength during war
Trinity Episcopal Church, Wilmington, Delaware was built in the 1880s. It is a traditional English Gothic structure that features beautiful stained glass windows. The exterior walls are made of rough, dressed Avondale stone, and the church has a high, steeped roof. The church’s tower and spire were added in 1925. Twelve bronze bells in the tower chime the hour.
Most bridges are made of steel or stones, but here is a bridge in rural North Carolina made of wood
The Stone Arch Bridge is a former railroad bridge crossing the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the only arched bridge made of stone on the entire Mississippi River.
The stone for the BAPS Temple in Atlanta, Georgia was shipped piece by piece from India, where craftsmen had sculptured it into more than 500 designs including rosettes, leaves, feathers and lacy geometric patterns. The thousands of sections, ranging from five ounces to five tons, each with its own bar code, have been assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle based on instructions for religious buildings written into scripture thousands of years old.
Staircase to the Temple
Open to one and all, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, in Atlanta, Georgia) was inaugurated in August of 2007 after only 17 months of construction time utilizing 1.3 million volunteer hours. The Mandir is comprised of three types of stone (Turkish Limestone, Italian marble, and Indian pink sandstone). More than 34,000 individual pieces were carved by hand in India, shipped to the USA and assembled like a giant 3-D puzzle.
BAPS Temple Atlanta Panorama
Remnants of art in stone in India …..
Art in Stone
A head of an elephant sculpted out of stone at Darbargadh Poshina
Elephant in Stone
Due to my interest in elephant pieces, I look for unusual items during my travels. Darbargadh Poshina didn’t disappoint with several unique elephants in stone.
Elephants Carved in Stone
Darbargadh Poshina has interesting artifacts from the past including this hand operated stone flour mill. Millstones or mill stones are stones used in gristmills, for grinding wheat or other grains. Millstones come in pairs – the runner stone spins above the stationary bedstone creating the “scissoring” or grinding action of the stones.
An Essential Item from the Past
An artist has used stone as a canvas for a painting a dancer and Indian musical instruments at Shilparamam, Hyderabad
Painted on Stone
A sculpture garden at Shilparamam, Hyderabad displays amazing art carvings in stone
Creating Art in Stone
A Picture in Stone
Stone Walls of the Lake District – walls made without cement still standing after hundreds of years. Growth in between the stones adds beauty to the walls.
Dry Stone Wall
Green Growth in Stone
Stone Wall Roots
A stone fence guards the pasture in the Lake District, England
A Pasture Enclosure from the Past
A stone window in the Abbot’s House at Muchelney Abbey, Somerset, England
A Window from the Past
Founded in 7th or 8th century, Muchelney Abbey is a landmark in Somerset. It was once a wealthy Benedictine house and the second oldest religious foundation in Somerset, but as part of the dissolution the abbey’s principal buildings were demolished by Henry VIII in 1538. The Abbey was the second largest in Somerset after Glastonbury, England.
Muchelney Abbey
The only intact structure is the Abbot’s House with well-preserved architectural features including external stonework and inside a great chamber with ornate fireplace, carved settle and stained glass, and timber roof.
Muchelney Abbey Abbott’s House
An intriguing combination of stone walls and arches covered with ivy, but leading to a locked gate. What pastures lie behind the gate in the English countryside?
Forbidden Pastures
Symmetry of stone arches leading to the door at Duke Chapel, Raleigh, North Carolina. Impressive in both color and black & white images.
Leading to the Door
Doorway Arches
The simple yet attractive design of stone arches at Duke Chapel in North Carolina
Stone Arches
Photos by Ravi 