Tell Me Something Good: Little York Stonemason

PREBLE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Harry Coleman worked as a union bricklayer and stonemason for more than 40 years, as it’s been the family business going back eight or nine generations.

“Uncles, all my uncles and stuff. It’s been in the family, my grandfather, my great-grandfather. It’s generation after generation,” said Coleman.

Officially, Harry retired more than a dozen years ago. But you wouldn’t know. You can see him at work around Dwyer Memorial Park on Little York Lake in Preble.

His specialty is resurrecting the park’s iconic stone barbecue grills, originally built more than 70 years ago.

“Well, the fireplace was about this close to being tore down, all of them. Seriously, I mean they were really thinking about tearing them down because they couldn’t get anyone to fix them,” said Coleman.

Many of the grills were rebuilt in memory of lost family and friends. In fact, that’s how Harry got started.

The first grill he worked on is in memory of his nephew, Jason Dempsey, who died in a car accident a few years ago.

Harry’s rebuilt 20 of the park’s 22 grills, redesigning them so people won’t set bonfires in them, sealing off water leaks that led to ice damage.

He likes to sneak in surprises when he can, like a stone shaped like New York State. Harry works largely by himself, and won’t take any payment for the work.

He doesn’t mind people watching. But he admits, too many questions can get to him.

“For instance, I had one person come in. I’m doing a fireplace. She’s taking pictures, this and that, looking at the stone, ask me a bunch of questions, and she goes, ‘Yeah, I think I’m going to go home and build one myself.’ I go, ‘Ok, Have fun!’,” Coleman said.

You can watch the full segment in the player above.

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