July 24, 2021
As the Laurentide Ice Sheet gradually receded 15-30,000 years ago, in the American Midwest, the retreating glaciers easily ground up the soft limestone underneath, leaving the farmer-friendly soil of the Great Plains.
But in New England, granite, rather than limestone, was underneath the ice sheets. So, when the ice melted, our forebear would-be farmers often encountered do-it-yourself stone wall kits littering the land where they intended to plant crops. And it seemed that when they removed the boulders, the next day they’d find more rocks had been pushed to the surface!
Sources differ, but it appears that forests waxed and waned in early New England. The Native Americans were known to have burned clear-cut forests, causing wood to be too scarce for it to be widely used as a heating fuel or for fences to mark property boundaries. (Native Americans generally did not recognize property boundaries, a major source of conflicts with European settlers.)
Yet other sources suggest settlers used a lot of wood for fences until the middle of the 18th century. But then the relative scarcity of wood sparked a surge of stone well building: widely accepted estimates are that 240,000 miles of stone walls were built in New England between 1780 and 1840!
Then wall building tapered off, as many farmers move to the Midwest, where land was more plentiful, cheaper, and easier to work…0r, with the ongoing industrial revolution, to cities with job opportunities in manufacturing.
From the beginning, people in Medfield and elsewhere have recognized the utility and beauty of stone walls.
Some of the best stone masons in Medfield are named Nyren. Donald Nyren is an enthusiastic perfectionist. He says a dry stone wall is much more natural and simple, with a vertical stake of stones laid together slowly and carefully so they lock together under their own weight.
For over 40 years Donald and his brothers, David and Stephen, have been building and maintaining stone structures, including homes, historical buildings, monuments, and headstones. They have used a range of other natural materials, such as granite and quartz. Their masonry skills combine the knowledge of an architect, builder, craftsman, designer, and engineer while using a set compass, a marked rope and a set square.
The Nyren brothers learned their trade in part via on-the-job experience. They also credit observing Paul and Bruce Simpson, who in turn learned the trade from their late father Ernie and his one-time partner Howard Welch. Many Welch walls survive in Medfield and environs, though they were built over 50 years ago, including the wall in front of the Dover-Sherborn High School campus.
The Nyren brothers explained that stone masonry is a type of construction that uses stones and cement for building foundations, floors, retaining walls and columns, all done with natural rocks.
As masons, Donald and David Nyren have enjoyed seeing the wonders of nature that have remained hidden from other people. Dry walls are a valuable habitat for insects and spiders and for many animals and plants like moss, lichen, and ferns. Woodlice and millipedes live in the damp recesses while slugs and snails use the crevices for daytime cover. But if the stone is covered in moss, it’s important to remove the moss as soon as possible to prevent damage to the stone. Moss thrives in most areas that have low light; keeping it in check allows for better preventive maintenance.
There is also what is called a safe transit of some creatures for some of Medfield’s four-footed friends. The so-called “smoot hole” gap designed into a dry-stone wall will allow free transit of some animals like rabbits, but not others like sheep.
Dry stone walls are strong and attractive and can last hundreds of years. Dry stone walls are mainly built as fencing to keep animals in, to mark out a garden, and for terracing sloping gardens. The maximum safe height should be no more than three to five feet. The final layer on top consists of large stones called capstones.
Donald and David mentioned that maintaining stone walls and brick buildings is an ongoing process known as “repointing.” This routine work refers to the finishing of cement joints in masonry, be it stone or brick. The stress and weathering from the elements of the sun, rain, cold and hot temperatures over time causes cement joints to crack and peel, which can lead to further moisture entering the deteriorated cement joints. This reparation allows for the overall safety and continued strength of a stone or brick structure, helping it to remain strong and durable in overall appearance and longevity.
The Nyrens note that sometimes there can be a question of ownership of a stone wall. When the wall is ditched on both sides or on neither side, ownership is usually mentioned in the deeds. If the wall is dug in on both sides, it usually belongs to both parties.
Additionally, if one wants to install a dry stone wall, the cost is always considered first. The amount of stone is given in tons, and one ton will usually build one square measure of dry stone wall. Dry stone walls are durable because they contain no cement but are held together by the weight of the stone…and by the skill of the builder who selected and fitted the stones together.
There is also what is called a safe transit of some creatures for some of Medfield’s four-footed friends. The so called “smoot hole” gap designed into a dry-stone wall will allow free transit of some animals like rabbits, but not others like sheep.
Masonry is not a profession for the faint of heart. It’s a rugged profession that requires good strength and attention span, manual dexterity, a strong back and legs, and an ability to work outside in the elements, sometimes in adverse seasonal conditions.
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The walls spoken of here remind us of the bond that walls present to us every day. We know that walls are meant to indicate a barrier and at times represent and symbolize a deeper meaning. China has their “Great Wall of China.” Germany had their “Berlin Wall” that separated East from West Berlin. The great, huge wall in the movie “King Kong” was made to keep the giant gorilla from the people who lived on the other side. More recently, wall construction was halted at the Rio Grande. These are just a few of the many. Whether real or fictitious, the walls spoken of here in this printing have come to represent the ideas of possession, of art, science, strength and of solitude. In their division, walls have sometimes been known to promote harmony while marking and promoting a permanence to our history.
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