Stone Wall in Southern New Hampshire

[EdDekker]

I am clearing about an acre of land on each side of my house as the future sites of my garden. The I found this old stone wall.

The land was farmed long ago, was bulldozed 13 years ago when the land was subdivided and the road built and has since grown the trees you see.

I feel lucky that the bulldozing 13 years ago preserving the stone wall.

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall 25 Compressed 25.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall through uncleared woods28.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall 12.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall 13.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall 20.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall 9.JPG

The end of the wall approaching the road was bulldozed into this pile.

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall End Pile 24.JPG

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Stone Wall End Pile 23.JPG

I have been cutting and chipping the trees. I have done only a little work pulling the roots (there is still a lot of tree cutting and chipping left to do). In a few spots I have pulled the roots or where my wheels dug in, I can see that the new crop of rocks has already appeared.

http://www.eclectic-eng.com/images/Big Flat Rock .JPG

It makes me really feel like a sedentary computer programmer (i.e. couch potato) when I think that the man who stacked these rocks MAY have had a horse and clearly didn't have hydraulics.

Ed<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Muhammad on 12/05/01 10:42 AM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[DaveNH]

A good book on granite stone walls (Dry style) is
The Granite Kiss. Author By Kevin Gardner Illustrations by Guillermo Nunez.

Author Kevin Gardner defines "the granite kiss" as "that instantly discouraging, and inevitable, experience in stone work when a fingertip or two fails to escape the contact point between two large stones on the occasion of their first meeting."

It is said that two strong men, a yoke of cattle with boat
could build 2 rods in a day!
Some times it takes me two days to move just one rock!!/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

We're all in this together! (3)
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by DaveNH on 12/04/01 06:33 PM (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Thomas]

Correct me if I'm wrong,but I was told if a famer built so many feet of stone wall each year it help pay some of his taxes.


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[DaveNH]

What I find fascinating is that here in NE, we have stonewalls in the middle of the forests. Indicates that a one time we had lots and lots of fields. You can walk for an hour into the wood, miles from a road and "poof" there's a wall!

The trees grew back on there own. Now we've gone from 85% (late 1800) field to 85% forested. Currently the state is looking into tax breaks for folks who keep their fields mowed and don't let them grow back. I like seeing the really old pictures of all the fields, not a tree in sight, In New England!!!

We're all in this together! (3)

 

[ejb]

I got about two miles of stonewalls on my property, around almost the entire 175 acres (3 sides anyway, the fourth side has water/wetland), with many other walls crisscrossing the property inside. Right now only about 30+ acres are open and I have cleaned off most of those walls...I still have years of work to do to get to the rest...if ever.

I never could figure out why those crazy settlers built all those rock walls in the middle of the woods/w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif.

In some places the wall is 3-4 feet tall and 5-6 feet thick...and my fields are STILL to rocky to plant much.

 

[JJT]

I have over a mile of stone walls, some 3 ' wide and 4+' high. Mine are silt stone with some iron mixed in, colors range from dull grey to blue to redish brown. The farmer I bought the property from, (85 yrs old), said the walls were there when his father bought the property before he was born.

Several years ago a stone mason asked if I wanted to sell some stones, said sure. I charged him $50/yard and hooked him up with a friend with a tri axle dump. He took 50 yards, for a huge landscaping project. I found out later he also got $50/yard for these stones. The lawyer that wanted the stone wall paid $125/yard delivered.

 

[Thomas]

Not only stonewalls,but when walking thru the forest {in this area} one comes upon many stone wall foundations,than one has to be careful for there a chance a stonewall well near by w/old rotten boards covering the top. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Everything had a use back than..very little waste like today.

Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[DFB]

Thomas, I never heard that before.

Stone walls are such rural character, a part of history here in New England. My little spot in VT has several hundred feet I've preserved while developing the property.

Wasn't long ago both sides of the entire road was lined with dry laid fieldstone walls. Thru development most of it is gone now. Years of someones work removed in just minutes with heavy equipment. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

DFB

 

[DaveNH]

I keep telling my wife those stones will be worth something, someday! I'm going to show her your post!
"See, people do buy rocks!!"/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

We're all in this together! (3)

 

[JJT]

I've sold quite a few stones, but the lawyer was the big sell.

Here's what I do when people ask me about stone - the first pickup load is free, if you want more, it's $50/load or $50/yard if they have something bigger than a pickup truck. I've never had anybody not come back for a few more loads.

My stone is scattered over several counties, a stone wall here, a fireplace there, a few stone walks, a rock gard, a barbecue, etc. All word of mouth, except the first guy.