Steve Trumbull wanted to give the city he loves something special for its 250th birthday. He wanted his gift to be elegant and to last for many generations to come. So, with the help of a few of his friends, Steve created The Medallion at First and Main.
The medallion is a five hundred pound granite stone quarried in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. It was engraved with Steve’s graphic design by the local firm of Gropen Design. Today, it sits at the very center of Charlottesville’s historic street grid at the intersection of First and Main.
In this podcast CPN’s Dan Gould talks with Steve Trumbull. Steve is a local businessman and is the Trumbull in Trumbull Photography. He is perhaps best known for his Charlottesville Then And Now website where you can find additional information and project photos. Dan also talks with Neal Gropin and Darryl Muller of Gropen Design about the project.
Delivered: A 2 1/2 inch thick, 500 pound slab of North Carolina granite arrives at Gropen Design. This and the photos which follow were provided by Trumbull Photography and are used here with permission. Additional project photos may be found at Steve’s Charlottesville Then and Now website.
Measure twice, cut once: Darryl Muller at Gropen Design prepares to trim the stone to size.
Rubber mask: Gropen employees hold the rubber mask that will be used during sand blasting.
Sand blasting: Similiar to an incubator, the sand blaster has two openings for the operator’s arms and hands.
Ready for paint: Sandblasting finished, the stone is ready to be painted.
Mask removed: In this photo a portion of the rubber mask has been removed to expose the etched and now painted surface of the stone.
Preparing the spot: Existing paving stones are removed at the corner of First and Main streets to prepare the spot for the new medallion.
Unloading the stone: Workmen from Gropen Design unload the 500 pound stone.
Final touches: The final touches are completed to set the stone.
All done: The new Medallion at First and Main is set in place.
A part of Charlottesville: Passers by on the Downtown Mall stop to check out the medallion.
