Exploring Stone Walls A Field Guide to New England's Stone Walls

by Thorson, Robert M.

• ISBN13: 9780802777089
• ISBN10: 0802777082
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-02-01
• Publisher: Walker Books

Summary

The only field guide to stone walls in the Northeast. "Every stone wall is unique and every stone tells a story," says Robert M. Thorson, the author of the first field guide to historic New England stone walls-- one that helps you identify and appreciate those in your yard, neighborhood, and throughout the Northeast. Exploring Stone Wallsis like being in Thorson's geology classroom, as he presents the many clues that allow you to determine any wall's history, age, and purpose. Thorson highlights forty-five places to see interesting and noteworthy walls, many of which are in public parks and preserves, from Acadia National Park in Maine to the South Fork of Long Island. Visit the tallest stone wall (Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island), the most famous (Robert Frost's mending wall in Derry, New Hampshire), and many more. This field guide will broaden your horizons and deepen your appreciation of New England's rural history.

Author Biography

Robert M. Thorson is the winner of the 2003 Connecticut Book Award for Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History of New England's Stone Walls. He is a professor of geology at the University of Connecticut and cofounder of the Stone Wall Initiative, which supports the appreciation and preservation of historic walls. He writes a weekly op-ed column for The Hartford Courant.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xiii
Introduction	xv
PART I---A CLOSER LOOK AT STONES
Life and Habitat	3	(13)
Microbes, Fungi, and Lichens	4	(4)
Plants	8	(3)
Animals	11	(2)
Seasons	13	(3)
Stone Size and Shape	16	(11)
Birth of Stones	18	(2)
Size of Stones	20	(3)
The Shape of Stones	23	(4)
Minerals and Rock Type	27	(16)
Minerals	28	(3)
Rock Texture	31	(2)
Rock Types	33	(5)
The Mix of Stones in a Wall	38	(5)
Features and Marks	43	(14)
Fossils, Folds, and Other Features	44	(4)
Glacier Marks	48	(2)
Weathering	50	(2)
Tool Marks	52	(5)
PART II---A CLOSER LOOK AT WALLS
Wall Size and Shape	57	(8)
Wall Dimensions	58	(4)
Shape	62	(1)
Symmetry	63	(2)
Structure and Style	65	(13)
Order	66	(4)
Placement	70	(4)
Mortar and Matrix	74	(4)
Layout and Purpose	78	(10)
Junctions	80	(2)
Determining a Wall's Purpose	82	(6)
Chronology and Age	88	(13)
Sequencing Events	89	(1)
Calendar Age	90	(1)
Abandonment Age	91	(4)
Cultural Stage	95	(6)
Classification and Naming	101	(14)
Stone Walls	104	(11)
PART III---WALLS IN SPACE AND TIME
Stone-Wall Landscapes	115	(12)
Terrain	115	(3)
Stone-wall Provinces	118	(7)
Subregions	125	(2)
Walls to Visit	127	(24)
Tourist Walls	127	(13)
Noteworthy Walls	140	(11)
Epilogue: Stone Walls and the Ecosystem	151	(4)
Appendix	155	(2)
Maps	157	(4)
Additional Resources	161	(4)
Tools and Equipment	165	(2)
Classification Key	167	(4)
Life List of Walls	171	(4)
Index	175