A studio art major in college, Lydell said while he did not think there was one single moment that got him interested in being a stonemason, his artistic interests eventually led him there.

“I’ve always had a tendency towards creation,” Lydell said. “This job gives me that opportunity every day.”

Lydell has been in the stonemasonry business under the name Vitruvian Stonemasonry for almost 18 years now. The name Vitruvian Stonemasonry was inspired by the “Vitruvian Man” Leonardo da Vinci drawing. Lydell said the purpose of the drawing was to depict strength, vitality and beauty in art, which is something he tries to accomplish in his business.

Currently, Lydell is in the midst of working on one of the biggest projects he has ever done for a house in Warren. Lydell is working with another company, J Edgar Construction, who he said he has worked with a few times over the years.

Pictured is Josh Lydell next to one of the large stone walls he has designed and made as part of his current stonemasonry project on a building in Warren. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

“This project was started by a different company before I was brought in,” Lydell said. “They did everything on the inside and upstairs before they said they couldn’t do it anymore. There are not many stonemasons so once the other company couldn’t do it anymore I was brought in.”

Lydell said if something can be made out of stone he has probably done it, with past work including things like kitchens, fireplaces and mailboxes. Current work on his project in Warren involves working on a second building behind the house, including stone walls, a firepit, pizza oven and more. Lydell said this is a very rare project for him.

“This is a special opportunity,” Lydell said. “I could go my entire career without doing a project of this scale. I’d say I do something like this once every few years and I did a massive project for this guy’s dad in the past. I just try to appreciate this project every day because I may never get another one like it.”

Lydell’s work as a stonemason is one he takes pride in, he said, as stonemasonry has been a trade since humans formed a civilization. Working with stone is something humans have done for 10,000 years, he added, saying that work is less now but that there will always be a project for him to do. Lydell also likes to travel and often will travel to places that have interesting stonework to see.

In the future, Lydell hopes to be able to share his knowledge of stonemasonry with the next generation.

Another part of Josh Lydell’s current project is a fire pit. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

“My goal with this is to be self-sustaining but I am also looking to expand the business,” Lydell said. “It will take some of the workload off for me, but I want to look to pass on my knowledge and my work to someone. My next step is looking for that person to share my knowledge with.”

Pictured is one of the walls and doorways that Lydell is working on as a part of his current project. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse