541 High Street

Corner Stone for the Yovng Men's Christian Association building
541 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia
circa 1887

Here is my find today in my lettering and topography quest near the Tidewater Community College | Visual Arts Center | 340 High Street.

This blip today has two pieces of carved stone together to function as the ornamental corner stone of this building. I say ornamental because while it has been placed in the traditional NE corner of a new building, it has not at the traditional location which would have been the very first stone placed as part of the foundation and therefore would be underground by several feet below frost line.

The top stone shows several symbols inter-laid together form a rather intrigue design. The geometric shapes present are: the circle, the X, the P, the equal-lateral downward facing triangle, and an open book.
The dates, 1887 & 1914, are set in a light-hand, low-recessed script.
The words on the downward facing equal-lateral triangle are equally as light and are a bit hard to read although they can be still read on this date. They are MIND on the left arm of the triangle, BODY on the right arm of the triangle, and SPIRIT on the horizontal arm of the triangle.

The bottom stone has raised relief words in a sans serif typeface. The interesting aspects of the this typeface is the square blockish letterform including a square period. This piece we can see the carver might have been an apprentice and is having troubles with his 'E's. The E in the first word is not perfect, and in the word CORNER the E is actually a C where the middle member has been carved off entirely.


Other urban topography & lettering photos in this series:

In Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia
All Saints Chapel : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Historical Placard Q 8A : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
1763 Grave Marker : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
FOOTE Memorial Stone : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Two Crosses : 500 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Bangel Law Building : 505 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Portsmouth Public Library : 606 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Pythian Castle : 600-612 Court Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Towne Bank Building : 200 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Coffee House Facade : 300 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Near The Bay Antiques & Collectables : 307-309 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Chapman Building : 310 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Café Europa : 319 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
The Lobscouser : 337 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
New Kirn Building : 339 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Dollar General : 326 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Corner Stone for Yovng Men's Christian Association building : 541 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Saint Paul's Catholic Church Memorial Marker : 518 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA
Yovng Men's Christian Association building : 541 High Street, Portsmouth, Virginia, USA

In downtown Norfolk, Virginia
Martin Building : 300 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Velvet Lounge : 332 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Madison Hotel : 345 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA
The Fontaine Room : 345 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia, USA