Catching Up With Stone Carver Andy Seferlis

Few families have left as large a multi-generational impact at the Cathedral as Constantine Seferlis and his son, Andy.

Constantine carved more than 200 features at the Cathedral between 1960 and 1978, from gargoyles to statuary to delicate flowers. It was a skill he picked up in his native Greece, and one that he passed on to his two sons before his death in 2005.

His son, Andy, remains connected to the Cathedral in many ways; he was just here in August to witness the reattachment of a gargoyle that his dad carved that was damaged in the 2011 earthquake.

Now he’s being profiled in Washingtonian magazine in a feature about his efforts to restore stonework around the capital, and to teach the craft to a new generation of students:

Stone carving is a method of creation through subtraction–removing stone to reveal artwork within it. Though the craft might sound archaic, Seferlis believes that it’s “alive and well.”

“Everywhere around you is an opportunity to do it because there’s so much stone around us,” he says. He looks at the city differently than others—noticing the cracks, patch jobs, and technical skill behind each structure as he walks down the street. “When we as carvers look at stuff, we look at it as restoration. We look at it as what was done and what needs to be redone.”

Check out a gallery below of some of the elder Seferlis’ gargoyles at the Cathedral.