In 1978, while working for the Washington National Cathedral as a superintendent of its stone plant, Dennis Rude found himself in the position to become the plant’s owner. He jumped at the opportunity, took over its operations, named it Cathedral Stone Company, and began working for local contractors.

During that time, Rude gained valuable experience with extensive masonry restoration projects. Yet, he was driven to find a better method for restoring and preserving masonry—a method that would result in longer-term efficacy, higher cost savings, and fewer problems for building owners.

In his quest to find better restoration methods, Rude soon found himself at the laboratories of Heinz Jahn in Holland. Jahn was internationally known for investigating problem areas of buildings, identifying causes of failure, and adjusting mortars to correct those failures. Rude knew that if Jahn’s techniques were proven on centuries-old European buildings, they would certainly stand the test of time in North America.

Rude had found a mentor.

In 1982 he established Cathedral Stone Products, which became the exclusive North American distributor and manufacture of the Jahn Restoration Mortars System.

In 1984, Cathedral Stone initiated the industry’s first hands-on masonry restoration training program to teach the proper preparation and repair techniques for installers of Jahn Mortars. Today, the program remains industry acclaimed.

In 2004, Cathedral Stone grew its operation by purchasing and installing custom mixing equipment to manufacture Jahn Mortars exclusively in North America. That same year Cathedral Stone established a one-of-a-kind masonry-testing and color laboratory for substrate investigations and quality control at its headquarters in Hanover, Maryland.

Today, Cathedral Stone carries more than just mortars. Its environmentally safe biological cleaner, coatings, voc-free water repellent, grouts and mortars are available across the U.S. and Canada through Cathedral Stone and 16 select distributors.

These products have been specified for some of North America’s most distinguished structures, including these national landmarks:

• Grand Central Station
• The Statue of Liberty
• The White House
• The New York Stock Exchange
• Yale University

Today, Cathedral Stone remains highly regarded among historic and built industries for its constant innovation, one-of-a-kind testing laboratory, hands-on training programs, and its steep expertise in masonry restoration and preservation.