Not an Ohio story at first glance, but when you consider that much of the Northen half of Ohio was first settled by New Englanders, this explains why stone walls are not uncommon here in Ohio today.  But this story makes me wonder if we are seeing stone walls disappearing in the same ways.

 

New England losing its stone walls

Thieves and legitimate buyers threaten the 'signature land form,' and towns are fighting back.

The Associated Press

July 30, 2007

 

STORRS, Conn. — By and large, New England's iconic stone walls have withstood generations of wandering wildlife, howling blizzards and even the occasional hurricane.

 

Now the rustic walls face new dangers: a growing number of blatant stone-by-stone thefts, and the legal practice of dismantling the walls to use the stone for patios, walkways and other landscaping projects.

 

...

 

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=124009&ac=PHnws

Something there is that doesn't love a wall...

i've heard about this and it's a shame. the running stone walls are so iconic to connecticut most of all.

 

when i was a kid and visited new london i commented to my cousin that it must be hard to mow the lawn with all the rocks stuck in the ground around their house. he said, "oh, did they take yours out?"

We have dry-laid limestone fences in central Kentucky. In Lexington (Fayette County), which has hundreds of miles of these rock walls, it is a crime to disturb, cause damage to, or remove sections. To even move a section requires permits, and has to be under the guise of a skilled craftsman.

 

On a recent road widening project, the existing dry-laid wall was rebuilt. Masons from Italy were brought in to teach the workers here in Kentucky on the proper dry-laid rock wall techniques, since it is quite difficult to achieve. It looks harder than one thinks. They were averaging about 2 to 3 feet a day, on a 17-mile road project.

You have any pictures of that?  That'd be very cool to see...

Paris-Lexington Road. The Dry Stone Conservancy is based out of Lexington and is the premier organization for more information.

 

Traditional dry-laid fence, rebuilt. On the day I was out, there were inmates that were trained in the skill rebuilding a small section that had fallen.

 

Construction photo by the H-L. There are different types of stone walls, including some that were not dry-laid, and each had to be reconstructed to the original specifications.

 

New and old non dry-laid limestone wall.

 

Old dry-laid wall meeting a new end-cap.

 

Corten guardrail, old dry-laid, and new dry-laid. I'm standing in what is now the southbound lanes, with the northbound on the other side.

 

Two types of dry-laid...

Fantastic...thanks so much for the pictures!  I have seen those around, but had no idea what I was looking at!

 

Having built stone walls myself, it is very hard and very precise work to get one looking this good.  Great pix!

i've learned that's theres more to these walls than just plopping them down.