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Mount Loretto Beach Rock Garden
Eccentric stone cairns built on a public New York City beach
Category Outsider Art, Strange Statues
Staten Island's stone cairn garden.
Source www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com
In 1996, the Staten Island Advocate ran a front-page photograph of an odd assortment of stone cairns that had recently appeared on a beach in Mount Loretto State Park. The newspaper asked in its headline if the piles of rocks were a “Sophomoric Prank or Cult Activity?”
In fact, they were neither. Spanning nearly a half mile of beachfront, the stone sculptures were the creation of Doug Schwartz, a zookeeper at the Staten Island Zoo, for whom this unusual outside--and outsider--art has been both a hobby and a passion for more than a decade.
Schwartz can be found working on the beach at least one day a week, making him something of a local celebrity. However, it is for another eccentric Staten Island tradition that he is best known. Schwartz is the keeper of Staten Island Chuck, a groundhog who serves as the fifth borough's answer to Punxsutawney Phil. For most of the year Chuck lives in a a cage in Schwartz's office at the Staten Island Zoo. He emerges every February 2nd on Groundhog Day to try to find his shadow.
There are now close to 200 rock towers overlooking Raritan Bay on the southern shore of Staten Island. Some are precariously poised, others are propped up with sticks, or buttressed with old beer cans. For Schwartz, the stone formations are simply a form of self-expression, and a relaxing way to spend a morning at the beach. He has built several benches out of stones and washed up lumber so that visitors can take a load off while they contemplate his slate and ochre garden.
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- Address Sharrott Ave. and Hyland Blvd., Staten Island, New York, United States
There is a place to park your car on Sharrott Avenue, just south of Hylan Boulevard.
Comments
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If you get a chance to post a few pictures of your work on restoring the Rock Garden, that would be great. We would love to see them!!!
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Anonymous
August 28, 2011
This is probably my favorite place on Staten Island and I found out this morning that the storm surge from Irene destroyed all of these sculptures. I hope Doug does not mind an extra hand because I am going to be spending my free time helping make this beach back into the awesome sight it was just hours ago. -
Visited this beach last week and was amazed. The sculptures just DO NOT STOP. Doug, you've quickly made this my favorite place on Staten Island. Will be going back soon for further exploration. Wow.
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Anonymous
January 17, 2010
I build the sculptures every friday morning....doug schwartz
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