Discovering New England Stone Walls

Join us as Kevin Gardner, author of The Granite Kiss, discusses the history of stone walls in New England, constructing a miniature stone wall as he talks.  This program is sponsored by NH Humanities.

Why are we so fascinated with stone walls? Kevin Gardner, author of The Granite Kiss, explains how and why New England came to acquire its thousands of miles of stone walls, the ways in which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time, and their significance to the famous New England landscape. Along the way, Kevin occupies himself building a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop, using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket.  This program is sponsored by NH Humanities.

This program will take place in person, in the Mayer Room.  Contact Jared Jenisch at jared.jenisch@thehowe.org for more information.

Kevin Gardner is a writer, teacher, tradesman, and a lifelong resident of Hopkinton, NH. He has been a stone wall builder for forty years and is the author of The Granite Kiss: Traditions and Techniques of Building New England Stone Walls, as well as poetry, songs, and essays. For 25 years, Kevin was an award-winning performance critic, feature writer, and producer for NH Public Radio. He's also a longtime professional actor, director, and teacher of theatre. He is a regular Guest Director at Plymouth State University and has been a performance evaluator for the NH State Council on the Arts.