Wright Monumental Works

main office, plant & studio display at 212-214 E. Main St., Bradford, Pa.

Charles W. Wright
founder & owner 1915-1925

Frank Calcagni
owner 1925-1940

The Wright Monumental Works Inc., located at 212-214 East Main Street, Bradford, Pa. was
a mainly cemetary-related stonecutter business established by Charles W. Wright in 1915.
Besides offering burial monuments the company was also known for their recognition memorials.

Being an authorized dealer of the Rock of Ages
- a granite quarring firm located in Barre, Vermont established in 1885 & still in business -
a wide range of materials from around the world was available, such as Barre Vermont Granite, Carrare Marble Statuary, Wausau Red Granite, Scandia Swedish Rose Granite, Laurentian Pink Granite & other imported & domestic marble & Granite.

Philip M. Rose - owner 1940-1987

Jamestown, NY., Post-Journal - Saturday Evening, March 23, 1965 (page 16)

(1965)

Mr. Ralph A. Rose of The Wright Monumental Works, Bradford, Pa., is being honored in the current issue of the Saturday Evening Post as one of the outstanding Memorial Dealers in the United States. His picture was selected to appear in the current Rock of Ages advertisement, togethter with an inspiring Norman Rockwell illustration, because of the integrity & understanding with which he conducts his business.
The Wright Monumental Works has been established in the Cemetary Memorial business for fifty years, an unbroken record of Cemetery Memorial Counseling & Service to the people of this area. As a Major Rock of Ages Dealer, Mr. Rose holds a most highly regarded position in the field of memorialization. In notifying the Wright Monumental Works of this honor, Robert S. Gillitte, President of the Rock of the Ages Co., stated that this decision came as no surprise, recalling that in 1962, Mr. Rose, had shown execeptional ability in successfully completing the Memorial Corp. on all phases of memorialization.

On January 1, 1987, Ralph A. Rose & his wife Judy purchased ownership of the company, along with his brother Philip Rose Jr. & his sister Dolores Rose Myers. The company has completed work for many families in the Bradford & surrounding areas & as far away as New Jersey, New York City, Pittsburgh, New England & beyond, helping people through a very difficult time in their lives.

Michael Rose Jr., Dolores Myers and Ralph Rose stand around the 25 Club Award Plaque that Wright Monumental Works was honored with by The Rock of Ages Company in Barre, Vt.

1990 - The Times Herald Business Writer (by Cora Niver)
Bradford's Wright Monumental Works to mark 75th year

There's always a lot of pride when a business can trace its roots back nearly 75 years.
This year, the family of Philip Rose Sr. is experiencing that pride as the owners of Wright Monumental Works at 212-214 E. Main St.
Serving customers in a 150-mile-radius, Wright Monumental offers burial monuments, stone-cutting and finishing as well as memorial designs and artwork.
Ralph Rose, president and general manager, noted the firm was recently cited for outstanding peformance in sales and service by Rock of Ages of Barre, Vt., producers of famuly memorials. For the ninth time in its history, a Top 25 Rock of Ages Club award plaque was presented to Monumental Works several weeks ago. The honor is based on the company's "integrity and understanding in conducting its business", Mr. Rose explained.
"With over 700 Rock of Ages dealers in the United States and Canada" he added, "placement in the top 25 is indeed an honor."
THE COMPANY was established at its present site by the late Charles W. Wright. Ralph Rose said the company is making plans for its 75th anniversary.
On October 23, 1940, Ralph's father, Philip M. Rose, now chairman of the board, purchased the company. "The firm is still operated by the family and they continue to take great pride in the work" Ralph said.
His brother Philip Rose Jr. works out of an office and manufacturing facility in Jamestown. Their sister Dolores Myers works at the Bradford Office as secretary and treasurer and a cousin, Michael Rose, is plant manager at the Bradford facility. The intricate work on the memorials is done at the Bradford plant by Ralph and Michael. "We do all of the art work and all of the engraving" Ralph said.
THE GRANITE used for the memorials is cut from quarries throughout the world including the Rock of Ages quarry at Barre, Vt. Ralph noted. He said customers today favor gray and rose-colored stones.
Trends are leaning toward "a more personal touch" in designs Ralph said. One recent choice was a sketch of an eagle in flight with the words of a popular song "You are the wind beneath my wings."
In the early days of the business, Ralph said his mother, the late Pauline Rose, had designed the first Sared Heart figural sandblast carving. "It was the forerunner of sandblast carvings of today" Ralph said, adding that "at that time, it was a whole new concept."
Pointing out that a lot of the art work is original, Ralph said it is necessary to receive an ongoing training to sharpen skills and keep abreast of the latest methods in designing and finishing. Along with the other, aformentioned skills, the craftsmen sometimes are asked to create a stained-glass window for a mausoleum.
Discussing how much the monumental manufacturing business has meant to the Rose family, Philip Rose Sr. said the rewards stem from "the actual satisfying of the needs of the families and institutions, doing soldiers' memorials and work for churches."
"It's working with all these people to create a picture in our minds, to put everything into the right design." he added.

WORKING together on a design for a memorial keeps members of the Rose family occupied at the Wright Monumental Works in Bradford. Pictured from left are Philip Michael Rose Sr., chairman of the board; his nephew Michael Rose, plant manager; daughter Dolores Myers, secretary and treasurer; and son Ralph Rose, president and general manager.

In addition to the memorial business, Ralph and his family have left foot prints all over town with recognition memorials such as the beautiful black granite flame and bench in front of the Zippo-Case Visitors Center which honors George Blaisdell Duke and his mother Sarah Blaisdell Dorn.

Zippo employees present monument as gift to Sarah B. Dorn & George Duke

Grateful Zippo employees gave back to their present & past in a big way Friday afternoon outside the Zippo/Case Visitor Center.

To honor the company's 75th anniversary, members of Zippo Manufacturing Co. presented a grand monument to Sarah Dorn, daughter of founder George G. Blaisdell, & her son, George Duke, current Zippo owner.

A flame-shaped etching depicts Duke's & Dorn's likenesses, along with a framed picture of George G. Blaisdell in the background. At the bottom, it reads, "To Sarah B. Dorn and George B. Duke, In Commemoration of Zippo's 75th Anniversary, Dedicated by Zippo and Case Employees and District Sales Reps, 2007."

The crowd of Zippo workers gasped as the sheet was removed from the shiny, black granite monument.

"Wow, that is really amazing," Duke said as he admired the gift. Duke was appreciative of the employees' understanding of both the company's and his grandfather's heritage. "Seventy-five years is an awful long time. Not a lot of companies survive that long," he said. "We can't express our thankfulness." However, Zippo's Chief Executive Officer Greg Booth found plenty of words to show his appreciation for the family. "I thank you both for all that you do for our hometown of Bradford," he told Dorn and Duke as they watched close by. "We've been thinking for months on how to commemorate this event, and I think we've found a way." There was no trouble finding employees who wanted to show gratitude towards the family, according to Zippo's Debbie Curtin, who was chairwoman of the gift project. "All the employees donated; we started over a year ago," she said. Employees of W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. also gave money towards the present. "It was amazing, the response of the employees. They were very receptive of it." Wright Monumental Works handled the making of the one-of-a-kind marker. "They etched it with this huge etching machine," Curtin said. The employees gave so much money for the landmark that they ended up with a surplus. The excess cash, ,2,000, was donated to one of Duke's "pet" charities: the SPCA. Zippo's employee picnic coincided with the donation ceremony. Celebrating workers and their families packed large tents while a live band piped music into the air. Large setups for food and drinks filled the area, and games were being played on the lawn.

Other footprints of Wright Monumental Works can be found at Bradford's Old City Hall...

...in front of the Zippo plant...

...or on the grounds of the

for example the Norwegian blue pearl architectural entrance signs...

...the sculptured bronze Piper Cub Airplane recognition site memorial at the University...

...and also the many benches and plaques on the walking trails at Pitt, Marilla Reservoir, Fretz Middle School, St. Bernard School and churches throughout the area.

Bradford Regional Medical Center and the Bradford Hospital Foundation are large recognition projects still in progress.