One thing that characterizes a New England scene more than many others is stone walls. Centuries ago when Europeans settled in New England they divided property to create farms to grow crops. The preparation for that goal was cutting down trees and clearing rocks from the land. There were so many rocks they decided that making borders with them was a good repurpose for them.
Most people just love to see them when they visit the New England states. They are abundant and fit into the landscape naturally. Can you imagine the laborious work it took men to build these walls? They must have been very strong, patient and persevering people to accomplish this task.
The stones used to build walls are millions of years old and each one is different; no two stones are alike. It takes a keen eye and a learned skill to assemble them together such that they form a structure that lasts the test of time and is pleasing to look at. You do not have to drive too far around Boston to see these centuries old, magnificent, man-made, borders!
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Recently, here in Sudbury, I found modern day stone wall builders at work on a steep sloped property. They are a father and two sons who together create what you see in the photos. Clearly a work of art and of craftsmanship. I just had to stop to ask them about their work and take some photos of the beautiful walls they were in process of building on this resident’s property. They were thrilled to have me do this. I could sense their genuine pride to have me acknowledge the fruits of their labor.
A picture is worth a thousand words as they say. Notice how they fitted each stone against one another in a series and created the terraces on this steep sloped property. I can only imagine how long this creation will last. It looks like it will be there for a very long time holding back the soil that created Nobscot Hill!
