It’s a development 40 years in the making, but it’s one that needs no description.

Retired Jackson businessman Norwood Jones has constructed a cross with materials he and friends collected from around the world on property he owns between U.S. Highway 412 and Old Bells Highway.

Norwood’s collection of bricks totaled 250.

“Several bricks have an inscription … where they were picked up,” Norwood said. “I have listed where most of them came from, and each has an interesting story.”

The most interesting?

“One I picked up in the ocean at Key West, Florida,” Norwood said. “There were other bricks, but what made this one interesting … I found it in the water in the (Southernmost) point in the United States with ‘Baltimore,’ engraved on it.”

It didn’t take Norwood long to recall another story even more interesting.

“I picked up one in New York City,” Norwood said. “It was from a building they were tearing down across from the Jacob Javits (Convention) Center, and put it in my camera bag.”

Norwood and associates from the Old Country Store were in New York on business.

“It had ‘Empire Brick Company,’ on it,” Norwood said. “We were at the Javits Center, and I decided to leave to go back to our hotel.”

Norwood reached his destination only after one detour.

“On the way to the hotel, I passed the United Nations building,” Norwood said. “I had never seen it, so I asked the cab driver to stop.”

Norwood said he passed one security guard before walking into the conference building where the nations convene, and as luck would have it, they were in session, and visitors had to walk up a stairway to watch the proceedings.

“It was probably 20, 25 years ago, but you still had to run everything through security,” Norwood said. “I put my camera bag to go through security, and they noticed the brick. They asked me why I had a brick and I told them, ‘I collect bricks.'”

Norwood quickly realized he was not exactly in West Tennessee, and he was told he could not take his brick to the balcony.

“I asked if I could put it under the security (conveyor belt),” Norwood said. “I spent about 20 minutes viewing; picked up my bag with my brick, went down the stairs, and thought I would like to see the rest of the United Nations.”

All the while, Norwood learned he was a marked man.

“I heard these security people on their walkie-talkies, one after another … “watch that fellow with that camera bag, he’s got a brick in it.”

Besides having the cross constructed, Norwood added landscaping and two benches for visitors.

Norwood said he hopes to add a lane to make it safer for motorists would be able to exit Old Bells Highway.

Welcome to the Cross
This is a collection of bricks that came from my visits – and friends visits – from all over the world during the past 40 years. I really had no idea as to what I would do with them other than stack them in my garage. The first of the year when making my goals for 2017 it came to me that I should build this cross on some property I’ve owned on Highway 412 and Old Bells Highway.a
Dedicated to the God of Love and my dear wife, Joyce, since August 17, 1951 – Norwood Jones

(PHOTO: Norwood and Joyce Jones stand at the Cross)

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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