In 2001 my fascination with Weird Texas, Weird Austin, and all forms of unique history and people was in full swing. I published two magazines called Weird Texas. In one of the magazines I wrote an article about a man named Joseph. Kincannon and his wife, Holly. They were Masons in Austin Texas and had a business ARCHIAC. It was in East Austin. Those were the days back when you could have a big warehouse in East Austin and pay little amounts of money and house large amounts of limestone rocks.
This is an article I wrote about how Joseph and Holly and how they came to be in Austin TX chisiling away and making beautiful art with the limitless in central Texas.
Jeanine Plumer 2026
Driving along Waller Street in East Austin, my eye was instantly drawn to the limestone blocks scattered outside of a wooden warehouse. My curiosity was further piqued when I saw two people holding tools, standing beneath white tents and shaping the stone. I pulled over, got out of my car and walked into the white. Strewn and carefully placed pieces of flawless, Milky, blindingly white stone were everywhere. A fine white dust covered everything, inside and out of the studio, even the people.
It was 102 degrees in Austin
that day and these dedicated tradesmen and women were working at a slow, steady, relaxed pace, creating angular perfection on pieces of stone using specialized tools. Experiencing this singular place in Austin is like stepping back in time. When an idea, a tool, and a man or woman and a piece of the earth came alive. I soon discovered that this was this form of stone masonry is rare, only 1. Other similar type of business like this exists in the state of Texas.
Joseph shared memories of his mother:
The sign merit Marietta’s Kitchen, hung warehouse, but in Marietta’s Kincannon’s kitchen. A neighbor, and frequent diner in. Marietta’s always welcoming kitchen, made the sign as an offering of gratitude and humor. Folks knew that if you lived within a 20-mile radius of Marietta’s home in Connecticut, you were welcome to share a meal at her kitchen table, especially if you were in a position to truly appreciate a free meal.
In addition to being a good cook, Marietta was also musically inclined. Following her divorce, she attended Virginia State College, and studied jazz. While going to school, she taught music, played the piano for the theater groups, for theater groups, and worked as a cook. She was also raising three children. Jeep, Joseph and Susannah.
Finding Austin Texas
After high school Jeep, attended the University of Massachusetts, majoring in art and then the New York Academy for Arts. In 1979, he began the seven years of formal training required to become a journeyman Mason. His apprenticeship was in the stoneyard of the Cathedral of St John the Divine, the largest Gothic cathedral in the world, which was under construction. For four years, he was taught to cut blocks of various geometric shapes and sizes.
During the last three years of his introduction he learned the intricate creation of detailed stonework, like the gargoyles, found on the facade of the church tower, barely discernible to the human eye. Not long after Jeep began his trade, his younger brother Joseph followed him to New York and began his own apprenticeship.
Jeep had been working in the Cathedral stone yard 14 years and Joseph 12 when the New York City Restoration Department brought in a 16 member crew to the Cathedral of St John the Divine Stone Yard. Heading up the crew was Holly Young. Holly’s crew was made up of stone Masons from around the world who had been enticed to come to the United States with promises of great wages and desirable benefits.
Holly and her crew were a part of the Stone Yard equipment owner’s plan to upgrade their stone cutting capacity and hopefully generate more business.
Hopefully being the keyword. Years later, it became obvious that some unfortunate business decisions had been made, and the cost of the new equipment and staff became greater than what the new business generated. The company was forced to cut corners. Their first course of action was to take away the European Mason’s benefits and lower their salaries. In protest, Holly, her crew and many other Stone Yard employees went on strike. When negotiations were complete, the protesters were given back their jobs. All but Holly and her crew, who were fired. One fellow, Joseph Kincannon, decided not to return to the stone yard with the others. Perhaps Joseph’s decision to quit his job was influenced by his attraction to the newly unemployed Holly.
Not long before the upheaval at the cathedral, the two had taken a trip to Texas, to visit Holly’s family. While there, they made frequent trips to the many quarries in Central Texas. Joseph was impressed, as he should have been. Central Texas has much to boast about, and its enormous stash of limestone and granite is top on the list. So in 1991,, when Holly and Joseph found themselves at a crossroads in New York City, the large wealth of available stone in Texas looked pretty good, and promising. They headed for Austin with a dream of owning their own business. With only $600 in their pocket, earning an income was their greatest concern. What do you do if you are an unemployed stone Mason in Texas? You dredge up chunks of limestone from the dry depths of Lake Travis, cut it, and carve the name of a restaurant on it and exchange it for a meal, or money. Basil’s, Mother’s, Thread Gills and the Broken Spoke. Were a few of the businesses willing to barter with the entrepreneurial pair? Gunters wouldn’t even open their door long enough to look at the stonework, before sending them away. Their first big break came. When James White, owner of the Broken Spoke, saw the name of his business engraved in stone, he was impressed and gave the couple $30 for it. He also offered them $600 to carve a wheel with a broken spoke and gave them half the money up front.
As Holly and Joseph left the broken spoke, they were so elated, their first thing they simultaneously came to their mind was…CHEESEBURGER, of course. They headed straight for Mad Dog and Beans. As is the way for many of us who have known, the depth to which we struggle when starting with nothing and fighting to make a vision real, a good meal, can be disorienting. Perhaps that is the reason Holly left the wallet, with the 300 precious dollars, on top of the paying phone she had stopped to use after leaving the restaurant. By the time they realized the wallet was missing, no amount of dumpster diving made a difference, the money and wallet were gone.
Today, sitting in the large warehouse, I’m captivated by the cutest two year old I have ever seen. She is smiling, happy and has been playing contently with her toys for the last hour. Surrounding us are pieces of limestone in various different sizes and stages of transformation.
Nearby Joseph, 39 years old, is creating a four foot by four foot Griffin, an animal that is part lion, part eagle, and in this case sporting ears reminiscent of a dog. This limestone work of art will be the center of a garden. Holly, 37 years old, is in the office, designing a limestone grotto which when completed will. Placed. Will be a place for couples to exchange marriage vows. She is creating and building the whole structure, including the altar, and the intricate designs that will cover the inside walls.
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