Discovering New
England Stone Walls
with Kevin Gardner
Kevin Gardner’s informal talk covers a few of the main topics of his
book about New England stone walls, The Granite Kiss, touching on history,
technique, stylistic development, and aesthetics. He explains how and why New
England came to acquire its thousands of miles of stone walls, the ways in
which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged
and changed over time, and their significance to the famous New
England landscape. Other topics may include: differences in
approach between historical and contemporary wall-builders, a discussion of
restoration tips and techniques, and information about design, acquisition of
materials, preservation, and analysis. There is always a generous
question-and-answer period, during which listeners are encouraged to bring up
specific problems or projects on their own properties. Along the way, Kevin occupies himself building a miniature wall or
walls on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket. He often brings along his collection of books
about stonework, and copies of The
Granite Kiss will be available for sale. This program is free and open to
all thanks to the Friends of the Hancock Town Library.
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