Masonry Contractors in Pewee Valley, KY

Pewee Valley began in 1852 as Smith's Station, a stop on the Louisville and Frankfort Railroad, and took its name from the eastern wood pewee when its post office opened in 1856. It incorporated in 1870 and is still small, 1,588 people and 558 housing units at the 2020 census. A remarkable share of those houses are old, which is why the work for masonry contractors in Pewee Valley leans so heavily toward careful repair of 19th and early 20th century brick and stone.

Two National Register districts

The Pewee Valley Historical Society lists two National Register historic districts in town. The Central Avenue Historic District includes houses such as Woodside and Bemersyde from about 1857, Sunnyside from about 1858, the Pewee Valley Presbyterian Church of 1867 and the 1910 Pewee Valley State Bank. The Ashwood Avenue Historic District holds homes built from about 1890 to 1936. Individually listed properties include St. James Episcopal Church of 1869, Tanglewood of 1869 and The Locust, built around 1800.

Treating old masonry right

Houses and churches of this age were built with soft brick and lime mortar, and many sit on stone foundations. The worst thing that can happen to them is a hard modern repair. When joints are filled with a cement-rich mortar, the brick ends up weaker than the joint and starts cracking and spalling. Our approach is the conservative one:

• Repoint only the joints that have failed
• Remove old mortar by hand where we can
• Use a soft, lime-based mortar matched in color and texture
• Clean gently, never by sandblasting
• Match replacement brick in size, color and strength

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Chimneys on older houses

Many Pewee Valley homes have several chimneys, and some have not been rebuilt in generations. Common problems are eroded mortar at the top, loose or missing bricks, cracked crowns and flashing that has failed. We rebuild chimney tops with matched brick and soft mortar, form a crown that sheds water and add caps where they suit the house.

Stone walls, steps and walks

Old garden walls, stone steps and brick walks are part of Pewee Valley's character. Tree roots, frost and decades of settling loosen them over time. We reset stone and brick, rebuild bases that have failed and keep the original materials wherever we can.

Newer homes too

Not everything in town is historic. For newer homes, we repair brick veneer, build retaining and seat walls and rebuild steps and stoops, using modern materials where they belong.

Working on churches and historic buildings

Pewee Valley's historic churches and public buildings need the same careful approach as its houses, often on a larger scale. Tall gables, bell towers and long walls take time to repoint properly. We stage the work so the building stays usable, protect stained glass and woodwork and keep the original materials wherever they are still sound.

What we do in Pewee Valley

• Historic brick repair and tuckpointing
• Stone foundation and wall repair
• Chimney repair and rebuilding
• Stone and veneer
• Retaining and garden walls
• Masonry steps, walks and porches

Call (502) 443-8557 to set up a visit in Pewee Valley.