Early 20 th century - Houses and building usually built on stone foundations. High end homes had walls built of the same stone.

Mid 20 th century – Development of C.M.U. (a.k.a. concrete block or cinder block) Houses now routinely built of wood frame on concrete block foundation. Stone houses with 4”-6” stone veneer, like Brick, still signify durability and wealth.

1950’s and 1960’s - Grassroots production of manufactured stone by Block Yards and Redi-Mix concrete suppliers across the country. Unfortunately they have low quality appearance.

Early 1960’s through 2003 – Company eventually known as Cultured Stone brand develops high quality manufactured stone with much better appearance and eventually develops L-shaped corners to simulate full thickness veneer. The Natural Stone Industry lags and manufactured stone takes market share through lower cost, superior marketing practices and packaging in boxes.

2004 to Present - The Natural Stone Industry effectively adapts to the need for lower weight (under 15 lbs. per sq. ft.) natural stone veneers, with L-shaped corners, to simulate full thickness veneer. The introduction of mass produced Architectural Stone Fabrication Machinery from Park Industries, of St. Cloud Minnesota, allows a widespread range of quarries across the country to produce real stone that goes up faster and cheaper. This equipment establishes a myriad of quarriers as the "Leaders of the Thin Stone Revolution" as Park Industries likes to call it. The manufactured stone installers, were already out there. With virtually the same installation technique, L-shaped corners that would simulate 4”-6” veneer stone, and shipped in modular boxes, the duplicated had copied the duplicator, and the superb appearance of Natural Stone brought itself back into the mainstream marketplace, in a very big way. [Read the Full Story]