Stansfield (Meriden Patio)

This stylistic approach to patio work in Meriden, New Hampshire This work shows a good example of dry stone patio work and functionality. Great care was taken in shaping the stones to fit the design oriented layout. Each Stone was precisely shaped to fit next to its neighbor, creating an overall uniformity of design. A winding cobble path flows through the middle of the patio, serving both function and design, breaking up the vastness of the patio.

Squam, Nantucket, Massachusetts

Wine cellar constructed with mortar for a dry stone look.

Medui Creek,
Nantucket, Massachusetts

Simple, yet elegant stonework surrounds this outdoor swimming pool in Nantucket. The retaining wall extends up to meet the pool’s invisible edge, and returns around the corners of the pool. The two stone pillars at either end of the pool give it a very distinct appeal. The pillars actually rise above the pools invisible edge several feet to become freestanding, and continue above grade along the return or wing-walls. Additional features include custom bullnose coping along the pool’s edge, and custom bluestone Jacuzzi. The circular Jacuzzi was surrounded with a square bluestone frame, and custom cut coping for the top. On the coping only four 5’pieces were used, making it very unusual and a one of a kind. All of the stone for this job was barged over from a quarry in Vermont.

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Callahan's,
Claremont, New Hampshire

This driveway retaining wall demonstrates both the traditional and a more contemporary approach to stone wall "coping". While the longer section that extends down the drive is coped with larger stones laid flat, or horizontally, the return after the step-down is all coped with a traditional method using the stones vertically. The vertical stones are all shaped along the top edges, and then wedged in place by driving stones between them for a tremendously sturdy top. Along the mid-section, thru-bands protrude the face of the wall demonstrating traditional dry-stone construction. While used partially for aesthetic reasons, thru bands are mainly used for structural purposes in tying both sides of the wall together at the midsection and are commonly placed one yard apart. In this instance, wall lighting was used to illuminate the driveway, and the thru-bands are hidden adjacent to the lights as they alternate placement with the protruding ones. Again, the stone seen in this wall is all laid without the use of mortar and was all quarried from our own lot in Unity, New Hampshire.

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Nugent's, Meriden, New Hampshire

The test site for our Master Craftsman Certification Exam, this demonstrates traditional dry-stone walling at it’s best. The majority of this wall (20 yards with the exception of the pillars) was completed in a seven hour period by six builders, under the watchful eyes of two Scottish examiners, and one local examiner. The property owners were kind enough to let us try a traditional method of "turf coping" which is not common to this region, but often seen in Scotland. The method of placing cut turf, or sod, is used when longer stones are not readily available to bridge the two sides of the wall. While the turf in this particular case did not take, due mainly to extreme sun exposure, it still serves the function of protecting the top of the wall from the elements.

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Sharon, Vermont

High in the hills above Sharon, the walls surround the guest house of this estate in Vermont. Working with architects and designers, the stonework has a more stylistic appeal that compliments the design of the house itself. The stonework that retains the Japanese garden shed is done with a traditional approach. The coping along the top of the wall is a common style found in Great Britain. The stones are carefully shaped on the top edges, set in place, and then wedged by driving smaller stones between them. This style of coping provides a very solid and protective layer for the top of the wall, an important aspect of dry-stone walling. The walls in this property are composed of stone from a near-by quarry, and are nearly all constructed without the use of cement. Mortar was used in certain applications, namely the veneer on the pool retaining wall, and also as a protective bond on the caps of the entry walls.

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Wildberry Farm,
Bridgewater, Vermont

This private residence in the hills of Vermont combines both traditional and contemporary design elements. The stone veneer on the rear garden area extends upward to meet the architecture of this home in a fortress-like manner. The off-set stone pillars frame the large windows of the living room while bluestone coping is used on the sills. While the stonework is only a veneer, the way in which it was built make it a very convincing structure. The stone is laid with the grain so that no awkward stones on end are showing. The same is true for the front entrance, where two smaller pillars support the timber frame entry-way. Again, bluestone coping was used at the top of the wall, and along the drip-edges of the window sills. The floors of the entry-way are also done in a cut bluestone pattern. All of the wall stone comes from our own quarry in Unity New Hampshire.

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Woodstock, Vermont

This largest body of our work consists of a series of walls surrounding an outdoor pool and patio area. The series of walls that ultimately create the base for the elevated heated patio, blend into and surround the gunite pool and Jacuzzi. Great care was taken in the layout of steps and lighting, as well as moisture sensors for the radiant heating in the patio. Additional features were added, such as the outdoor fireplace, and outdoor stainless gas grill, with custom bluestone shelf. All of the custom stonework was done on site, with bullnose coping on the patio edge, steps, and grill top, using a burning method common to stone fabrication. While a good deal of this body of work was "dry stone" construction, mortar was used in some application where necessary due to the design restrictions. All of the stone used in this project, with the exception of the bluestone, was gathered from our own quarry in Unity New Hampshire.

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Berry's

This collection of dry stone walls, located in Cornish, New Hampshire. Numerous lengths of walls surround this property, which illustrate the true nature and function of dry stone walls. The barnyard area, completely contained by walls as would be in a working nineteenth century farm, add aesthetic beauty as well as functionality to this farm. A traditional approach was taken by using stone found solely on the property.

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