Repairing and Rebuilding Historic Stone Hearths
21 Instructional Hours, March 26 – 28, 2025.
Taught by Noel Sanchez in person at the Esek Hopkins House in Providence (97 Admiral Street) every day from 8am to 4pm.
This three-day course teaches the skills and techniques needed to properly repair and rebuild a historic brick hearth. This is a hands-on course taught in a colonial home, built in 1756 and recognized as a landmark building by the City and the National Park Service. Participants will learn by doing, effectively restoring one of the home’s original stone hearths, with modules covering structural support of hearths, building a stone footing for a hearth, sourcing and selecting brick to closely match older brick, installing brick on a hearth, mortar preparations, discussion of other masonry work done in historically sensitive ways. This course can enroll a maximum of three students and culminates in the award of a completion certificate from Providence Preservation Society. Instructor can teach in Spanish as well as English – course is open to Spanish-speaking students.
Pre-requisites: 2+ years of masonry experience. Must have and bring your own tape measure.

Application Deadline: Monday, February 24, 2025. Applicants may be asked to interview by Zoom the week of February 24, and notifications of acceptance will be communicated by Monday, March 3.
Course Fee: $120. 1-2 needs-based scholarships are available upon application.
This course is subsidized by grants from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the City of Providence’s Department of Parks.