Fixing Elkridge One Brick at a Time

Part of Elkridge that fell apart over the summer will be put back together in the coming weeks.

The "ELKRIDGE" sign at the south end of Old Washington Road was into the right side of it in early August; since then, it has been in disarray, with bricks strewn around it, until recently.

Jerry Lefever, who lives in Elkridge and has background in construction, offered to fix it, free of charge.

“My wife and I do whatever we can to help the Elkridge community be a better place for our two sons," said Lefever, who coaches baseball for the Elkridge Youth Organization.

Lefever’s wife, Jennifer, is the Elkridge Elementary PTA president and a member of the Greater Elkridge Community Association (GECA), which took up the cause of fixing the sign.

“When [Jennifer] said they were looking for someone to repair the sign, I immediately volunteered my labor to rebuild [it] if GECA or someone else would help pay for the materials," said Lefever, who has been building things his whole life.

“My dad was a residential masonry contractor and taught me the trade,” said Lefever. “Construction is all I know. I have been in it my entire life, and many of my relatives are tradesman as well." 

In his current job as a project manager for Manhattan Construction in Washington, D.C., Lefever manages subcontractors and administrative business.

“I still enjoy using my skills on occasion, and fixing the sign seemed like a good reason to dust off my tools,” said Lefever.

GECA President Howard Johnson raised $300 to buy the bricks, which are neatly stacked next to the sign as of this week.

Now it's up to the weather to determine how soon "ELKRIDGE" will be back in working order.

“I will probably need two good days to get the sign rebuilt to its original form,” said Lefever. He plans to work on Saturdays as weather permits.