THE ODD SETT

Help us solve the mystery!

We were working on Greene St in Manhattan and noticed this peculiar "Cobblestone" with a smooth symmetrical notch. We began discussing this curious little stone and no-one could come up with a likely scenario for its history. We'd love to hear what you think about this stone.  Some of the questions we have:

-What was the notch cut for?

-Was the notch cut in a larger block that was later re-purposed as a cobble* (Sett Stone)

-Was the notch cut in America or another country (England, Holland?) and brought as ship ballast?

- Why was this cobble (Sett) not discarded by the Sett Mason who layed Greene St.?

*Cobblestones are small stones rounded by the flow of water and were used in the pavement of early streets. Setts are often confused with cobblestones, although setts are shaped to a regular form whereas cobblestone are from a naturally occurring form.

Example of a cobblestone surface.

Example of a sett stone surface.

Theatre History for Broadway Lovers

Do you know the history behind The Stephen Sondheim Theatre? This New York City landmark is formerly known as Henry Miller's Theatre, built by and named for actor Henry Miller. The theatre was opened in 1918 with the play The Fountain of Youth. In 2010, it was revealed that the theatre would be renamed to The Stephen Sondheim Theatre after the American composer for his contributions to musical theatre for over 50 years. Below are some of the drawings BSC did for the theatre before its renaming including the gate, the lobby floor, lobby ceiling, and outside of the building!