THE 3-MINUTE INTERVIEW: Joe Alonso

Alonso has been the head stonemason at the National Cathedral since 1990 and has worked as a mason there since 1985. Alonso is currently assessing the damage following the earthquake earlier this September. How did you get your start as a mason?

My parents are from Spain and my dad was a mason. I’ve been around it since I was a kid, helping my dad fix mortar, stones and bricks. Right out of high school, I started my apprenticeship here in D.C. and apprenticed for four years, became a mason and worked my way around D.C. until I ended up here at the cathedral.