After carefully researching Cross’ artistic style and use of fonts, he finished the monument, made from stone which Cross himself had cut from a nearby quarry. Winningham was honored in 2017 at the Brown County Art Gallery’ s collector’ s showcase exhibition and sale.
Henry Cross created about 100 headstones in Brown County, and lived a few miles from Stone Head.
Jon Kay, director of Traditional Arts Indiana at Indiana University, says that in a lot of ways, the old stone carvers like Henry Cross served as Winningham’ s mentors. Kay said it is appropriate that Winningham did the monument to Cross because he can see the way Cross carved lambs, willow trees, and other motifs, as well as the precise lettering.
“ Casey pays homage to history and those techniques and also allows people to have a connection with someone who will make the thing that will actually outlast you,” he said.
Compared to modern mass-produced headstones, Kay said Winningham’ s work is“ a much slower, thoughtful process.”
Winningham has created or repaired thousands of headstones across the country, including two in a cemetery west of Nashville.
Seventy percent of his work is restoration, he said, at a pace of about 200 headstones a year. During winter months, he works on carving replacement or new headstones, though he says he prefers restoration work.
He came into the trade of stone carving much like he did other activities in his life, out of necessity. He would see an object he liked, but knew he couldn’ t afford to buy it. If he wanted something like that, he had to make it himself.
Born and raised in the Muncie area, he worked first as an emergency medical technician. Then he moved to South Dakota where he took up blacksmithing. He moved from there to Ohio, and then back again to Indiana.
Things he learns about one type of artwork are often applicable in another area, he said. As a blacksmith, he
Monument honoring Henry Cross. courtesy photo might create a gentle sweep in a piece of iron and later use that balance when carving stone.
After moving back to Indiana, Winningham didn’ t have the workspace to continue his blacksmithing, so he was looking for another line of work when he saw a video by master stone carver Walter Arnold of Chicago. Geography also had something to do with the decision, since
Continued on 50
March / April 2023 • Our Brown County 49