
A good blaze contained by stone fire pit.
Fire Pits, Fireplaces, and Pizza Ovens
Fire and stone are elemental forces that have an eternal and abiding relationship. While fire forges stone in the depths of the Earth, stone has been used to restrain fire since people first learned to harness its power.
A well built stone fireplace adds warmth and character to the home. Fire pits add hours and even seasons of enjoyment to any patio and outdoor living space. Pizza ovens are functional tools that offer chefs of all abilities a chance to make extraordinary meals. This page features several different projects Hammerhead Stoneworks has created in and around Asheville that blend stone and fire.
River Rock Fire Pit
We built this fire pit of river rock to echo the original stonework on this country cabin. The client occasionally sends me pictures of these amazing fire they have there!

A river rock fire pit is the centerpiece of this circular patio living space

This fire pit uses river rock and a fair bit of mortar to echo the stonework of the original house.

A good fire going in the river rock fire pit
Contact Hammerhead Stoneworks for your own fire feature! Call Marc at (828) 337-7582 or e-mail him hammerheadstone@gmail.com
Fire Pits

Small boulders peek above the top of this stone fire pit.

A sandstone fire pit with small boulders.
This fire pit was remnant metal from an old forge the client found in a scrapyard somewhere. While we can’t take any credit for the fire pit itself, we were responsible for the space all around it. This was the inaugural fire.

The first gathering at the Sacred Circle.

Sacred Fire Circle
Raised Patio Fire Pit
Fire pits can be easily incorporated into your patio design. In addition to adding warmth on cooler nights, this fire pit doubles as a natural stone grill.

This stone fire table has a grill built in.

The fire table has openings in the side, so that light can leak into the darkness.
Invisible Fire Pits
Hammerhead Stoneworks offers a stone fire pit design solution for small patio spaces called the Invisible Fire Pit. A typical stone fire pit can take up a great deal of space. In a small area, this can be problematic, as it limits the amount of outdoor furniture one can use, or can make it hard to entertain in the space at times when a fire isn’t desired.
The Invisible Fire Pit is built down into the ground, but has a stone cover, so that when not in use, it really isn’t noticed. You can walk right over the lid with no indication that the space beneath your feet is hollow. Iron handles are drilled through the lid and rest in a small groove cut into the top of the stone. With the handles recessed in this way, there’s no trip hazard. The stone is still heavy, so it’s best to lift it with a friend! Browse the images below, and when you are ready for your own fire pit, call Marc at (828) 337-7582 or e-mail him hammerheadstone@gmail.com

Roasting marshmallows over a fire pit embedded in a stone patio

The lid of this hidden fire pit in patio mode. Note the handles set into the stone.

An invisible fire pit burns brightly on a cool Asheville evening.
Rustic Stone Fireplace and Chimney
This was Hammerhead’s first project, back in 2009. A very slow methodical solo build. There wasn’t much going on in the first weeks so I lost myself in this thing.

This rustic stone chimney is inspired by the stonework on some of the older buildings at Mars Hill College.

A variety of North Carolina stones blend into this rustic fireplace in Mars Hill.
Stone Pizza Ovens

An old Unturned Stone project. We faced this retained heat oven in stone for the chef/designer/builder.

Pizza oven and countertop
Odds & Ends

Outdoor fireplace with high hearth for cooking.