The Flint Hills is home to a number of stone masons, but Lucas Koch, owner of Koch Construction Specialties, is one of the most passionate about the craft. In addition to creating beautiful stone structures, Koch has worked hard to keep stone masonry alive. He helped organize the 2017 Flint Hills Stonework Symposium and Workshops, is now certified by the Dry Stone Conservancy to teach dry stone walling classes, and works side by side with his employees to teach them his craft.
“I have always felt that my earliest interest in stonework started when I served as a park ranger at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. I was surrounded by the historic stone buildings and walls. I was fortunate to be able to watch National Park Service masons do restoration work on the Lower Fox Creek School. During this time I felt a strong urge to buy an abandoned stone house south of Cottonwood Falls. After working months alongside masons from Emporia on our home, I learned many of the basic principles of restoration and stone construction. Shortly after completion of our home, local folks began to ask if I would work on their stone structures. Hence in 2000, my business began.”
Whole Building Restoration St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 601 Poyntz Avenue Owner: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Contributors: Anderson Knight Architects, BHS Construction, Bovard Studio Inc., The Very Rev. Patrick Funston, Koch Construction Specialties, David Littrell, Tom & Teresa Snyder, Gabrielle Thompson, & Mary Vanier St. Paul’s Episcopal Church embarked on a multi-phased project to renovate both the church’s exterior and the interior. Exterior work involved the careful removal of mortar joints, which had been inappropriately patched in the past, and the joints were replaced with appropriate material. The ceiling of the main nave had warped, and it was completely rebuilt and trimmed to match the original ceiling. Plaster walls were repaired, and woodwork was stripped and re-stained. The stained glass windows had previously been covered with acrylic panels, which trapped heat and moisture, and the panels had become opaque with age. A new window glazing product was applied, allowing sunlight to stream in and highlight the windows’ dazzling colors. New carpet in the main nave completed the transformation.
