Dry Stone Conservancy
1065 Dove Run Rd.
Suite 6
Lexington, KY 40502

© 2008 Dry Stone Conservancy


The Conservancy holds workshops for the general public to learn basic dry stone technique and for advanced mason training. Participants learn international standards in dry stone masonry and then participate in building projects to upgrade their skills.


 
Spring 2010 Workshops
Register Quickly to Save Your Spot!

Print registration form (500k pdf)

Sat-Sun
April 10 & 11
Edge Fence Workshop – Mercer Co, KY

This introductory workshop will be held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Historic edge fences were built with rock laid “on edge” and are typically found along streams and steep hillsides throughout central Kentucky. For on-site lodging and more information about Shaker Village, go to www.shakervillageky.org. Rooms typically go quickly, so book early!
Sat-Sun
April 24 & 25

Life Adventure Center Workshop – Versailles, KY

This combined introductory and advanced workshop will be held at a historic cemetery site in Woodford County, Kentucky. For those who have already taken a DSC workshop, advanced participants will build a wallhead and right-angle corner. Beginners will focus on the fundamentals of fence building. This location offers free on-site camping. You can either pitch your own tent or bunk in their primitive one-room dormitory-style cabins. Contact chris@lacbg.com for camping reservations and details.

Fri-Sat
May 7 & 8

Hebron Cemetery Workshop – Lawrenceburg, KY

This introductory workshop is part of an ongoing effort to repair the historic rock fences surrounding this settlement-period cemetery in Anderson County, Kentucky. Previous workshop participants at this site have commented on the excellent idyllic location as well as the tasty lunches prepared by the women of the church!

Sat-Sun
May 22 & 23

Shaker Village Rock Fence Workshop – Mercer Co, KY

This introductory workshop will be held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, Kentucky. Workshop participants will rebuild sections of historic fences on this beautiful nature preserve which has more than 23 miles of historic fences. For on-site lodging and more information about Shaker Village, go to www.shakervillageky.org.


Other Important Events

Download
2010 Volunteer Workdays
download PDF
To participate in one or all of the following Volunteer Work Days, please call Donna the office and sign up today! (859) 266-4807, or dscadmin@drystone.org

October 13th& 14th (Wednesday-Thursday) – “Mason’s Workshop” – Shaker Village, KY
This workshop will prepare candidates for the 7th Annual Walling Competition to be held on October 16th and the Certification Exams to follow on October 17th through 19th. A limited number of spots will be available for beginners. Participants will rebuild sections of historic fence on the property. Certification candidates will also gain the required certification exam experience on retaining walls and wallheads.

October 16th (Saturday) – 7th Annual National Walling Competition – Shaker Village, KY
Novice, Intermediate and Professional Classes - trophies, ribbons, tools and cash prizes!!! Participants and spectators please come join us for all the fun! Registration forms are available on our website.

October 17th-19th (Sunday-Tuesday) – Drystone Mason Certification Exams – Shaker Village, Kentucky
Candidates may arrange to build their wallheads and other required special features on-site Sunday and Monday; timed tests for all candidates will be on Tuesday. Registration information and forms are available on our website.
October 21st-23rd (Thursday-Saturday) – Preservation Trades Network’s International Preseration Trades Workshops Event including DSC Demonstrations, to be held in Frankfort, Kentucky this year! Go to PTN.org for more information and to register.

Download and Print 2010 Registration Form
Dates and locations for workshops are listed on the accompanying registration form.  Workshops run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, beginning with a classroom introduction to the techniques of dry stone masonry, followed by hands-on instruction while restoring or building a dry stone wall.  Participants bring their own work gloves, safety glasses and a rock or brick hammer and their own food (unless otherwise noted). DSC will provide extra hammers for those who don’t already own or plan to buy one.  

If interested, please reply as soon as possible; registration is limited and on a first-come first-serve basis. Dates and locations are subect to change; all registered participants will be notified as soon as possible.

 



The Conservancy regularly offers workshops and training courses taught by highly qualified instructors teaching internationally-accepted standards for the craft. Introductory two-day workshops are geared to three groups: those interested in careers as professional dry stone masons; those interested in building or restoring their own drystone fences and garden walls; and professional designers, engineers, inspectors and project owners who design and oversee drystone masonry restoration projects. Conservancy workshops involve hands-on instruction in the fundamental structural techniques involved in building a durable early Kentucky rock fence or retaining wall. Courses include a classroom component where participants learn the history and uses of drystone walls, the fundamentals techniques of drystone construction and the opportunities available for restoration and new construction. After viewing a brief training video participants then proceed to the workshop site to dismantle and fully restore a failed section of historic stone wall. A training manual is provided for all workshop participants.

Workshop Experience

Introductory training workshops sponsored by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Kentucky Heritage Council were first conducted by the Dry Stone Conservancy in 1995 and 1996 to pre-qualify masons interested in bidding rock fence work for the Paris Pike widening project. Shortly thereafter, Kentucky State Parks sponsored two training courses at Fort Harrod to restore their fences and train local masons for future work.

Since 1996, the DSC has conducted dozens of additional introductory training courses for amateurs, professional masons and design professionals in the following Kentucky and beyond.


Clip from Walls of Stone video

TOP




INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS HELD IN KENTUCKY
(1996-2009)

Hebron Cemetery Historic Fence Workshops, Anderson County.
T.B. Bright Homestead
Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Boyle County.
Shaker Village
Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Auvergne Farm Historic Fence Workshop, Bourbon County.
Perryville Cave Spring Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Boyle County.
William Crow Property, Kentucky 52 Historic Fence Workshop, Boyle County.
Christman’s Mill Road, Historic Fence Workshop, Boyle County.
John Jacob Niles Home Site Historic Fence Workshop, Clark County.
McConnell Springs Historic Fence Workshops, Fayette County.
Raven’s Run Historic Fence Workshops, Fayette County.
Kentucky Horse Park New Fence Workshop, KyTC D.B.E., Fayette County
Wolf Run Creek Retaining Wall Workshops and Mason Training, Fayette County.
Old Frankfort Pike Historic Fence Workshop, Fayette County.
Leestown Pike Historic Fence Workshop, Fayette County.
Bryan’s Station Pike Workshop, Fayette County.
UK/LFUCG Arboretum Workshop, Fayette County.
West Hickman Creek Retaining Wall Mason Training, Fayette County.
Fort Hill Park Historic Fence Workshop, Franklin County.
Peak’s Mill Historic Fence Workshop, Franklin County.
Locust Grove Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Jefferson County.
Widow’s Watch Golf Course Historic Fence Workshop, Jessamine County.
Cavalier Farm Historic Fence Workshops, Jessamine County.
Taylormade Farms Historic Fence Workshops, Jessamine County.
Logan Hubble Park New Fence Workshops, Lincoln County.
Beaumont Inn Historic Retaining Wall Workshop, Mercer County.
Greenville Springs Historic Rock Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Fort Harrod Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Shakertown Historic Fence Workshop, Mercer County.
Robert Hall Farm Historic Fence Workshops, Scott County.
Cardome Center Historic Fence Workshops, Scott County.
Shelby County Campus, Jefferson Community College, Shelby County.
Parkers Landing, Washington County.
Moore’s Mill Road Historic Fence Workshop, Woodford County.
Pisgah Pike Historic Fence Workshops, Woodford County.
Spring Station Pike Historic Fence Workshops, Woodford County.


WORKSHOPS HELD AT NATIONAL PARK SITES NATIONWIDE
(1996-2009)

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona.
Channel Islands National Park, California.
Colorado National Monument, Colorado.
Tallgrass Prairie National Park, Kansas.
Acadia National Park, Maine.
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Grand Tetons National Park, Montana.
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River, New York.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Pennsylvania.
Big Bend National Park, Texas.
Harper’s Ferry, Historic Preservation Training Center, Virginia.


INTRODUCTORY WORKSHOPS HELD AT OTHER SITES NATIONWIDE
(1996-2007)

Blandair Estate, Frederick, Maryland.
Hancock Shaker Village, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Minnesota Arboretum, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Aullwood Gardens, Dayton, Ohio.
Rolling Rock Building Stone, Boyerstown, Pennsylvania.
Wray Cemetery, Brentwood, Tennessee.
Rest Haven Cemetery, Franklin, Tennessee.
Traveler’s Rest Historic Site, Nashville, Tennessee.
Vermont Granite Museum, Barre, Vermont.
Eberly Road Retaining Wall, Dayton, Virginia.
City Hall, Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Allen Creek Park, Evansville, Wisconsin.

References and photographs available upon request.

Mason Training Partnerhsips / Project Management listed here.

TOP