Born in San Angelo, Texas in 1970, Matthew Johnson, Bartlett Stone's carver and designer, grew up in Georgetown just north of Austin.
In
1991, while completing his degree at Southwestern University he
was invited to apprentice with a stone carver working in nearby
Florence. During the course of his training, Matthew learned the
intricacies of designing, cutting, and carving stone architectural
elements, using a combination of both modern and ancient tools
and techniques. |
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After completing his apprenticeship in 1997, Matthew took a two year sabbatical to work with a high tech firm in Austin where he studied and implemented the cutting edge technologies of CAD design. Always with an eye toward returning to the stone industry, Matthew spent the next few years developing CAD tools that would help him blend the aesthetics and nuanced beauty of carved stone with the precision and speed of the information age.
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In
1999, Matthew got his chance to re-enter the stone carving profession
when his old master, Bob Ragan, invited him back to oversee and
manage the shop in which he had originally trained. Delighted,
Matthew returned and spent the next 4 years blending his varied
skills in order to provide each client with a uniquely sculpted,
architectural stone treasure, while still accommodating the realities
of building schedules and budgets. |
In the spring of 2004, Matthew formed Bartlett Stone Company, named to honor his great-grandfather, a businessman from the early 20th century who earned a reputation for providing each individual client with hands-on, attentive service.
This family tradition of giving priority to the customer's needs and expectations is one that Bartlett Stone Company intends to maintain.