Stonemasonry is one of the earliest trades in civilization's history. During the time of the Neolithic Revolution and domestication of animals, people learned how to use fire to create quicklime, plasters, and mortars. They used these to fashion homes for themselves with mud, straw, or stone, and masonry was born.

The Ancients heavily relied on the stonemason to build the most impressive and long lasting monuments to their civilizations. The Egyptians built their pyramids, the civilizations of Central American had their step pyramids, the Persians their palaces, the Greeks their temples, and the Romans their innumerous public works and wonders (See Roman Architecture.) Among the famous ancient stonemasons is Sophroniscus, the father of Socrates, who was a stone-cutter. Many scholars now believe Jesus was a stonemason, as was his father. http://masonictao.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/jesus-the-stonemason/

When the Roman Empire fell, building in dressed stone stopped completely in most of Europe, and construction returned to a timber based industry. People looking at the stone ruins around them thought that the world had ended, and that the ancient world was a lost Golden Age. Working in stone began again in the ninth and tenth centuries in Europe, and by the twelfth century religious fervour resulted in the construction of thousands of impressive churches and cathedrals in stone across Western Europe.

A medieval stonemason would often carve a personal symbol onto their block to help differentiate their work from that of other stonemasons. This also provided a simple 'quality assurance' system.

The Renaissance saw stonemasonry return to the prominence and sophisication of the Classical age. The rise of the Humanism philosophy gave people the ambition to create marvelous works of art. The centre stage for the Renaissance would prove to be Italy, where city-states such as Florence erected great stoneworks, including the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, the Fountain of Neptune, and the Laurentian Library which was planned and built by Michelangelo Buonarroti, a famous stonemason of the Renaissance. http://www.artchive.com/artchive/M/michelangelo.html

When Europeans settled the Americas, they brought the stonemasonry techniques of their respective homelands with them. Settlers used what materials were available, and in some areas stone was the material of choice. In the first waves, building mimicked that of Europe, to eventually be replaced by unique architecture later on.

In the 20th century stonemasonry has seen its most radical changes in the way the work is accomplished. Prior to the first half of the century, most heavy work was executed by draft animals or human muscle power. With the arrival of the internal combustion engine, many of these hard aspects of the trade have been made simpler and easier. Cranes and forklifts have made moving and laying heavy stones relatively easy for the stonemasons. Motor powered mortar mixers have saved much in time and energy as well. Compressed-air powered tools have made working of stone less time-intensive. Petrol and electric powered abrasive saws can cut through stone much faster and with more precision than chiseling alone. Carbide-tipped chisels can stand up to much more abuse than older steel and iron chisels made by blacksmiths of old.
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Custom stonemasonry is still available today. http://www.bullnosestone.com will reveal a collection of recent stonework, constructed by craftsmen in Michigan.