Sculptor Kevin Stitzinger uses an air compressor-powered chisel to add details to the rock sculpture he is creating for Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Stitzinger began the project May 1, and is now in the final stage. The finished sculpture will be placed near the entrance of the Cass Company Store.
MARLINTON, W.Va. — Some would call it serendipity. Others would call it coincidence. But when Cass Scenic Railroad park superintendent Scott Fortney saw rock sculptor Kevin Stitzinger demonstrating at the Leatherbark Ford Gallery at Cass, he knew he had found the right person to create a work of art for the entrance to the Cass Company Store.
“Scott came by and was really excited about what I was doing, and asked me if I’d be interested in doing something larger,” Stitzinger said. “I said absolutely. He wanted something that conveyed the essence of the place, ideally using local rock and local artists.”
Stitzinger went to the drawing board and came back with a sketch for Fortney’s approval.
“I wanted something that spoke to the place as a place where trains come to life,” Stitzinger said. “It’s an active, dynamic rail line, so I didn’t want to do just a sign…
