A master stonemason imparts the fundamentals of building traditional New England-style dry stone walls.

In this eminently readable primer on the fundamentals of placing stone, Kevin Gardner distills 30 years of experience in building and restoring stone walls into principles and practices that are adaptable to a wide variety of designs and circumstances. He also discusses the history, philosophy, and aesthetics of the craft. In addition to directions on building basic stone walls, he also demystifies steps, wells, ramps, walkways, and many other forms of dry masonry.

Along the way, Gardner considers the mythology of the stone wall and its place in the New England imagination. He explores the art in a book that will bring as much pleasure to armchair craftsmen as it will valuable instruction to the beginning wall builder. 20 black & white illustrations.