Cornelius Kingsland Garrison’s Tomb, with a geometric crown wrapped around a ridged dome, is one of the most intricate structures in Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery. Last summer, Francis Rosario, then a 20-year-old mason trainee, was tasked with restoring the dilapidated and yellowed stone of the roof back to its 19th-century splendor. To succeed, he had to get the colors and patterns to interlock just right for the new roof to blend seamlessly with the original — a test of his persistence and precision. He said: “I am very proud of it because after mixing the color and texture, it is exactly the same. “We lost track of the patch.”
A training program at the cemetery was Mr. Rosario’s first experience with historic preservation. He learned many meticulous steps – measuring, patching, color mixing. It is also physically demanding. For Mr. Rosario, it’s all about making the job more enjoyable.
But conservation wasn’t the first career he imagined for himself. Initially, his dream was to study engineering and make use of his math skills. Mr. Rosario started high school as an honors student enrolled in advanced classes, but troubles at home sent his studies off track. Engineering promises stability.
About halfway through high school, Mr. Rosario was sent to live with his father. When that failed, he was placed in transitional housing. He spent about a year there before being cared for by a foster family, where he found a quiet and supportive environment. “They understood that I wasn’t in my situation because I put myself in it,” he said. “It’s just that: Bad things happen, and life goes on.”
The whole experience takes a phone number. He often has trouble sleeping and is stressed, worried about the impermanence of his circumstances and where he will live after foster care. As a result, he missed classes and failed several courses.
While he feels lucky to have graduated from high school and been accepted into an engineering program, college was not the experience he expected. The expenses became unsustainable, so he dropped out and devised a new plan. Mr. Rosario began to consider other ways to combine the mathematical elements of engineering with his first love: art.
