FARMINGTON — The best way to learn is by doing, masonry teacher Stephen Mitchell said as he and three students from the Maine School of Masonry in Avon started another community project at Hippach Field this week.
Restoration work on the brick wall between the field and the Intervale road includes cleaning and replacing the worn joints around the brick and fixing cracks in the concrete caps to help prevent water from working its way into the wall, he said. Some bricks on the end of the wall are up for replacement.
It’s a project that town Parks and Recreation Director Steve Shible has tried to have done for more than a year and a half. High estimates on the cost of the restoration work slowed the effort.
While the students learn by doing, supplying the labor, the town is only responsible for the materials used. It’s a big savings to the town, Shible said.
“We’re deeply grateful,” he added.
The student crew of Daniel Slater of Weld, Jacob Hickey of Rumford and William Girard of Philadelphia worked two days this week and will be back within the next couple weeks for two more days.
It’s an ongoing community project, Mitchell said, because of the destruction mostly caused by salt and water sprayed by traffic on the Intervale.
Students recently completed brick steps for the Little Red Schoolhouse Museum. Their next community project is a brick walkway for handicap accessibility for the Madrid Historical Society, he said.
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