STUDIO HISTORY

The founders of our studio, Joseph Kincannon and Holly Young-Kincannon, met working at The Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, NYC in 1989. Both were department heads, Joseph as Lead Carver and Holly as Project Manager.

Holly, having recently graduated from architecture school, looked for a place where she might launch her career, but also pursue an older professional model, one that allowed architects to evolve their skills in an atelier setting. Previously educated at the Architectural Association and Pratt Institute, Holly had worked in architectural offices in London and New York  primarily developing contemporary residential and commercial projects. Once discovering the Stoneyard Institute, Holly set a course to expand her skills in the building trades, and the world of craft.

Joseph left the Berkshire Mountains directly from high school and headed to New York to join the cathedral building program. He apprenticed for 7 years and was Guild Certified as a Mason and a Carver. He then went on to become the lead carver of Cathedral Stoneworks, and led a department of international carvers that continued to build Saint John’s South Tower, as well as work on numerous projects around New York City.

In 1992 Joseph and Holly left New England and moved to Austin, Texas. The Kincannon/Young partnership opened an interdisciplinary studio, ARCHAIC, where they continued to provide building design and preservation services, apprenticeship training, and sculpture for public and private projects.

In 1993 Joseph’s brother, D’Ellis “Jeep” Kincannon, joined the studio bringing considerable skills including carving, drafting and teaching. By 2000, Holly had received her stone carving Guild Certificate through the training provided by the Kincannon brothers and recognized by the US Stonecarver’s Guild.   One year later, Jeep passed away.

Throughout the years ARCHAIC continued to develop parallel interests in architecture, urban design, stone carving and masonry construction. In 2009, the studio name was change to Kincannon Studios, not abandoning the principles of ARCHAIC, but putting their family name on the dream.

THEN… in 2019, longing to reconnect with the East Coast, the Kincannons left Texas in and continued their studio work in Savannah, Georgia. Soon thereafter, Joseph joined the faculty of The American College of Building Arts (ACBA), in Charleston, SC and is Chair of the Heritage Masonry and Stonecarving Department.  Holly continues to design and consult as a preservationist, and is a Registered Architect in the State of Georgia. In 2025, Holly will happily join the faculty of ACBA teaching architecture design, preservation and drafting.