Executive Editor

When local stone mason Matt Pyatt was contracted for some stone masonry restoration at Clara’s on the River restaurant, he decided to add a bit of whimsy to parts of his design.

“My first thought was that it would be funny to do a face with a mask on,” said Pyatt of two support stones he calls corbels for the familiar arch window of the lobby. “My thought was I’d remove it after the joke had been had.”

But much to his surprise owner of the popular Battle Creek eatery Ross Simpson liked the design and wanted to keep it.

That masked face carving depicting a sign of the times is now a permanent fixture at Clara’s on the River, along with a newly installed image of a woman Pyatt calls “The Pink Lady.”

Both corbels were crafted from existing Lake Superior sandstone removed from the building during a project to add a new take-out entrance at the restaurant after the pandemic began last Spring. See Shopper News at the link above or in hard copy on newsstands all over greater Battle Creek to see the unique image he created.