Slate Gallery

Click Here to View the Article From the 1935 Abbeville Press & Banner Describing the Unknown Confederate Soldier's Grave. The hill was called "Magazine Hill" in those days.

Click Here to See The Grave Site In Abbeville, SC on Secession Street on Secession Hill Just off the Down Town Square.

This is the first stone to mark the grave of an Unknown Confederate Soldier who died of smallpox on the train coming into Abbeville, SC around the end of the War.
Discovered by Robert Hays about 5 years ago, the stone should be placed in 2010.

This stone is being carved to replace a stone for John Gillaspie that was destoyed or stolen in the 1930's. The graveyard is located in East Fork, NC near East Fork Baptist Church. The graveyard is just over the hill from the home and gunshop of the first known Gillespie gunsmith.

This example I carved using similar characteristics of several Charleston, SC tombstones from the early to mid 1700's. The skull and crossbones were a popular element used to show the brevity of life and the mortality of our bodies, a reminder to prepare our souls for eternity, and come to Christ.

This is a common Colonial American Symbol wich shows that "Time Flies."
One of my favorite examples of this is the Thomas Poole stone at St. Philips in Charleston, SC from 1754. Even if a man couldn't read (which many couldn't in those days) he would know what the hour glass with wings was trying to say.

This is a tombstone I carved for my GGG Grandfather, who was a Confederate Soldier from Marshall, NC. He has a tombstone, but no mention of his Confederate Service. This stone will lay almost flat. The Latin Phrase "Deo Vindice" was used by the Confederates to say "The LORD will Vindicate."

This was my second project with Karin Sprague in Scituate, RI. She and Tracy Mahaffey helped me to learn how to carve faces in a traditional manner. Realism is not necessarily the goal, but keeping with the "folk look". Notice the odd looking eyes.

This was a stone I carved for the City of Greenville, SC's children's garden located near the Peace Ceter at the intersection of Broad St, and River St, under the Hwy 123 Bridge. The Childrens garden included a "Secret Garden" walled up with bricks. The stone, like the story, has a secret. The Stone has 7 keys hidden on the stone. See if you can find all of them. If not go and see it for yourself!

This stone is loosely based upon the Nathan Basset Stone, the first portrait stone in America. The original is at the Circular Church, Meeting Street, Charleston, SC.
It is an example that I am working on! The picture frame border is all carved with hand tools, as are all of the stones. Buckingham Slate, Arvonia Virginia.

This stone is one I carved for my friend Carroll Ross of Tennessee to go over his beautiful fireplace. The Letter style is a late 17th century to early 18th century style found on Early Colonial Tombstones. This stone was a pleasure to carve!

This one is for Sale, if anyone wants it!
Buckingham Virginia Slate, with all classic lines, taken from an example from 1747 from Charleston, SC. It just doesn't get any more "Period Proper." 18" x 36" x 2.5" thick. This one will be on the road with me, so Lord's Willing I'll be carving it out in September!

For our friends Angie & Nikki King of Tennessee, out of Buckingham, Va Slate 1'x 2' x 1". This stone will be placed Flat in the ground.

Copy of the Thomas Poole Stone 1754 at St. Philips Church in Charleston, SC. I carved this for the purpose of making castings soon!