Current State of Affairs

The current state of affairs on Josh Copus' property

My property in Madison County, which is the host site for the Carolina Kiln Build, has undergone massive changes in the recent months. This past winter I completed a laundry list of major grading projects on the property. This included redesigning and re-grading the existing driveway, and adding 50 yards of new road to increase access to my kiln. I buried the old foundation of the house I deconstructed and set on fire and completely re-graded the whole area. I took down some more trees and started the site excavation for the new kilns. I dug trenches and ran 500 ft of drainage tile to solve ‘the water problem’ on my land. I organized and consolidated all of my bricks and building materials. I also consolidated my 11 dump truck loads of clay so that it takes up much less space. I ran a fairly good size track-hoe for a week, and traded some custom tile work with my good friend who runs JAG construction company for the use of his skid-steer. Combining the heavy machinery with ingenuity, grit, and pure determination I was able complete my goal of being able to plant some grass by this spring. It’s springtime now and the grass is growing. There is a huge pile of bricks and building materials for the kilns and shed construction this summer. I made a huge rock-pile and have been salvaging some old bricks to use in the landscaping around the kiln. I have been working on this property for two years now and it is just finally starting to turn the corner. It has been a messy construction zone for most of those two years and it is satisfying to see it start to come to a more visually restful place. It truly is an awesome time and I am getting exciting to share it with all the participants of the kiln build this summer.

The kiln and studio area before grading

The same view after this winter's activities

A view of the old homesite and various piles of things yet to be consolidated

The same view after grading, awaiting a new house

The current pile of bricks and other building materials

Preliminary site excavation for the new kilns