This kid-sized bridge was built in about a week by three DSC-certified drystone masons in the Children's Garden at the Lexington / University of Kentucky Arboretum. Sweet!

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This community project for the Children's Garden at the Lexington / University of Kentucky Arboretum is benefiting from the donation of expertise, time, materials and services from a number of local volunteers, design firms, companies and organizations. The Conservancy was asked to locate inexpensive sources of stone from across the state and to install five geologic features that depict the different geology and physiographic regions of Kentucky. Last year we will build the Bluegrass Overlook, Knob and Seeping Springs features. This spring we installed the Kentucky River Palisades and Western Kentucky Cave features. As the spring and summer progresses, others will be installing various water features, plantings and additional hardscape. (updated 5/24/10)

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

Project description and more photos coming soon! (9/8/09)

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

Coming soon . . .

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This demostration project was built by Conservancy craftsmen during the Preservation Trades Network Rendezvous held at Riverview Park in Frankfort Kentucky on July 2-4, 2009. The Rendezvous included several hands-on demonstrations of various traditional building trades including drystone masonry, timber framing, scribing, slate roofing, etc. The Conservancy was asked to build "something different" for the Park's entry sign. So, we designed a planter that showcases various types of rock fences found in Kentucky while also evoking the image of a boat on the river! Two introductory lectures were given and the public was invited to try their hand helping with the build.

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This is the second of now three phases of training/ restoration efforts involving the East Headrace at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in eastern Pennsylvania. The partnership is the third task order associated with DSC's five-year cooperative agreement with the Northeast Region Office of the National Park Service. Phase Two included a week-end workshop for Volunteers-in-the-Park and three week-long training sessions for high school students at several regional VoTech high schools. All the sessions include a brief classroom introduction with DSC and NPS staff teaching preservation standards, NPS philosophy and maintenance practices, the history of Hopewell Furnace and the fundamentals of drystone masonry . . . followed by hands-on training while restoring the east headrace retaining wall. The headrace was originally built in the late 1800's but inappropriately "restored" in the late 1930's. During the training, the wall was carefully dismantled and rebuilt, correcting several faults while preserving the character-defining features of the original workmanship. More than forty people took part during Phase Two and restored more than 100 linear feet of 5-foot tall wall! Check back this summer for an announcement about opportunities for YOU to take a workshop at this great historic site this fall!

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This is the first of two phases of training/ restoration efforts involving the East Headrace at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in eastern Pennsylvania. The partnership is the third task order associated with DSC's five-year cooperative agreement with the Northeast Region Office of the National Park Service. Phase One included a week-end workshop for Volunteers-in-the-Park, three week-long training sessions for high school students at several regional VoTech high schools, and a week-long session for NPS staff nationwide. All the sessions include a brief classroom introduction with DSC and NPS staff teaching preservation standards, NPS philosophy and maintenance practices, the history of Hopewell Furnace and the fundamentals of drystone masonry . . . followed by hands-on training while restoring the east headrace retaining wall. The headrace was originally built in the late 1800's but inappropriately "restored" in the late 1930's. The wall was carefully dismantled and rebuilt, correcting several faults while preserving the character-defining features of the original workmanship. More than 55 people took part during Phase One and restored more than 130 linear feet of 5-foot tall wall! Check back in May 2009 for photos of Phase Two.

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This album contains a few photos from each of the Conservancy's spring 2009 workshops and volunteer work days in Virginia and Kentucky. Workshops give participants an opportunity to learn how to build rock fences while raising awareness of historic fences, the craft and correct restoration techniques.

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

This is the Conservancy's forth of seven covered bridge abutment restoration/training projects in partnership with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (see previous albums for Goddard, Bennetts Mill and Switzer Covered Bridges). As the timber contractor (Arnold Graton) completes his timber restoration work, the Conservancy is repairing the historic drystone abutment wingwalls as well as adding new drystone approach ramps to accommodate the new bridge elevation (the bridge was raised a few feet to avoid frequent floods). We were also asked to remove the central pier that was added several decades after the bridge was built, when the timberwork began to sag. Check back often, new photos will be posted as it happens! (updated 4/8/09)

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy

The 5th Annual National Dry Stone Walling Competition was held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Mercer County Kentucky again this year, and attracted competitors from KY, TN, VA, SC, NJ, OH, IN, IA, TX and WA as well as one from Scotland! All in all, 38 people traveled more than 35,000 miles round trip to compete in this year’s event . . . and restored over 200 linear feet of historic fence in only 8 hours!

Owner: Dry Stone Conservancy