Emerson Grand Basin: St. Louis, Mo

Masonry Construction, July-August, 2005

Emerson Grand Basic located in Forest Park consisted of crumbling walls and stagnant water just a few years ago. A $2.3 million masonry installation replaced the limestone in the basin with cast stone and added a number of other features, including new bridges, steps, benches, balcony overlooks, and skirting at boat landing areas. At night, eight fountains light the restored basin.

The masonry contractor also installed pilasters with balustrades between them, placing a coping piece on top of the bottom rail, followed by a baluster and the top rail with a cap. More than 9000 pieces of cast stone and granite imported from Brazil were used.

Working conditions were quite difficult, with masons onsite dealing with a huge mud pit left behind after the basin was drained. There were no nearby structures to use as a reference for measurements, so all work had to be meticulously calculated to ensure walls were installed in the correct location.

Project Participants

Masonry Contractor: Leonard Masonry Inc., St. Louis

Architect: Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Inc., St. Louis

Masonry Suppliers: Global Granite & Marble, St. Louis; Hanover Architectural Products, Hanover, Pa.: United CastStone, Denton, Texas: Irwin Products, St., Louis: and Simpson Materials, Fenton, Mo.