[MassHistPres] Stone Walls

Tue Dec 22 10:31:06 EST 2009

Questions about stone wall history and stone wall protection in Massachusetts and New England frequently arise. Here in MA, State Representative Pam Richardson from Framingham is leading the way to try to get some firm and enforceable protections in place. As for the history, legal, and ethnographic associations - Robert Thorson's book are excellent primers, and the MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation's publication "Terra Firma #5: Stones That Speak, Forgotten Features of the Landscape" address a number of stone cultural landscape features commonly encountered (including walls); and also includes a section written by MHC that addresses issues regarding stone features and Native America associations. Contact me for a hard copy or download at: 

http://www.mass.gov/dcr/stewardship/histland/publications.htm

Shaun Provencher
Historic Preservation Planner
Resource Management Planning Program
MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
251 Causeway Street, Suite 700
Boston, MA 02114
617-626-1376

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu [mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of masshistpres-request at cs.umb.edu
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 11:02 PM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: MassHistPres Digest, Vol 46, Issue 39

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: Boundary walls (A.J. & Donna Juarez)
   2. Cold-storage barn in early 1900s (Susan McLaughlin)
   3. Re: Cold-storage barn in early 1900s (Valerie Norton)
   4. Re: Boundary walls (Barbara)
   5. Fw:  Boundary walls (Dwight Mackerron)

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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:22:30 -0500
From: "A.J. & Donna Juarez" <ellis6065 at charter.net>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Boundary walls
To: Barbara <beb100acrewood at comcast.net>
Cc: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
Message-ID: <ACF58EBE-7398-498D-81DA-AA444E22DAFC at charter.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; Format="flowed";
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What of the Native American stone prayer structures found throughout  
New England, are these structures considered stone walls?  There is an  
effort out of Ware to identify and preserve these sites. aj
On Dec 21, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Barbara wrote:

>
> The discussion on stone walls and boundary walls is very intriguing.
>
> In my former life I was a title examiner for an attorney and a deed  
> researcher for a land surveyor.  I am interested in a definition of  
> historic stone boundary walls as well as a legal definition of the  
> same.
>
> Stone walls have been important in designating types of land  
> boundaries during most historic periods of time.  In past centuries  
> a wall might have been a legal boundary between abutters or  
> delineate individual fields for one land owner.  Today those same  
> stone walls may or may not delineate legal boundary lines of  
> ownership for individual lots of land.
>
> Even a short length of stone wall or remains of a fence including a  
> solitary post could be important in determining a property line.
>
> What criteria would a HC use to determine if an ancient stone wall  
> was a boundary wall and what time period ( historic or current )  
> would qualify it to meet that criteria?  Legally this could be very  
> complicated for the owner, town planning boards and a Commission.
>
> In my opinion all ancient stone walls especially in New England are  
> important historically and should if at all possible be preserved  
> and protected.
>
> Thanks for any input and available sources of information,
>
> Barbara Bailey, Wareham
>
>
>
>
> ******************************
> For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us 
>  directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST.
> MassHistPres mailing list
> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:05:31 -0500
From: "Susan McLaughlin" <susanmc1 at earthlink.net>
Subject: [MassHistPres] Cold-storage barn in early 1900s
To: <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Message-ID: <0FFAEC03AD9D4A07AC2538136CFE2E79 at D41HF771>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

The Town of Stow has an historic structure known as the Larsen Apple Barn, a
farm building with very thick stone walls. It was built by Peter Larsen in
roughly 1918 to store apples and other produce for his farm and local
farmers. It is said to have been state-of-the-art cold storage in its time,
allowing farmers to store surplus produce until demand increased after the
harvest season and brought them higher prices. 

We are wondering how unique this building is. Are there similar structures
in your towns? Or do you know of others in Massachusetts?

Many thanks.
Susan McLaughlin
Stow Historical Commission member 
susanmc1 at earthlink.net

------------------------------

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:13:19 -0500
From: Valerie Norton <preserve at nantucket.net>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Cold-storage barn in early 1900s
To: <susanmc1 at earthlink.net>, <masshistpres at cs.umb.edu>
Message-ID: <C755794F.1659%preserve at nantucket.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Susan
I would personally like to see a photo of that.  Can you send one out?
Valerie Norton
Norton Preservation Trust
Building Artisans Preserving Nantucket's Historic Structures

On 12/21/09 7:05 PM, "Susan McLaughlin" <susanmc1 at earthlink.net> wrote:

> 
> The Town of Stow has an historic structure known as the Larsen Apple Barn, a
> farm building with very thick stone walls. It was built by Peter Larsen in
> roughly 1918 to store apples and other produce for his farm and local
> farmers. It is said to have been state-of-the-art cold storage in its time,
> allowing farmers to store surplus produce until demand increased after the
> harvest season and brought them higher prices.
> 
> We are wondering how unique this building is. Are there similar structures
> in your towns? Or do you know of others in Massachusetts?
> 
> Many thanks.
> Susan McLaughlin
> Stow Historical Commission member
> susanmc1 at earthlink.net
> 
> 
> ******************************
> For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact
> Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE
> LIST.
> MassHistPres mailing list
> MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
> http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
> ********************************
> 

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Message: 4
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:42:22 +0000 (UTC)
From: Barbara <beb100acrewood at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Boundary walls
To: "A.J. & Donna Juarez" <ellis6065 at charter.net>
Cc: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
Message-ID:
	<1093094951.2678841261449742872.JavaMail.root at sz0042a.westchester.pa.mail.comcast.net>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

Another interesting aspect! 

What of the stone structures that have been attributed to early travelers from Europe? 

Barb 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "A.J. & Donna Juarez" <ellis6065 at charter.net> 
To: "Barbara" <beb100acrewood at comcast.net> 
Cc: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu 
Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 4:22:30 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Boundary walls 

What of the Native American stone prayer structures found throughout New England, are these structures considered stone walls? ?There is an effort out of Ware to identify and preserve these sites. aj 

On Dec 21, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Barbara wrote: 

The discussion on stone walls and boundary walls is very intriguing. 

In my former life I was a title examiner for an attorney and a deed researcher for a land surveyor.? I am interested in?a definition of historic stone boundary walls?as well as?a legal definition of the same.? 

Stone walls?have been important in designating types of land boundaries?during most historic periods of time.? In?past centuries a wall might have been a legal boundary between abutters or delineate individual fields for one land owner.? Today those same stone walls may or may not delineate legal boundary lines?of ownership for?individual lots of land.? 

Even a short length of stone wall or?remains of a fence including a solitary post?could be important in determining a property line.? 

What criteria would a HC use to determine if an ancient stone wall was a boundary wall and what time period ( historic or current ) would qualify it to meet that criteria?? Legally this could be very complicated?for the owner, town planning boards and a Commission.? 

In my opinion all?ancient stone walls especially in New England are important historically and should if at all possible be preserved and protected. 

Thanks for any input and available sources of information, 

Barbara Bailey, Wareham 

****************************** 
For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact ? Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us ? directly. ?PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST. 
MassHistPres mailing list 
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Message: 5
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:01:58 -0800 (PST)
From: Dwight Mackerron <dmackerron at verizon.net>
Subject: [MassHistPres] Fw:  Boundary walls
To: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
Message-ID: <73516.30408.qm at web84205.mail.re3.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Dwight Mackerron <dmackerron at verizon.net>
To: A.J. & Donna Juarez <ellis6065 at charter.net>
Sent: Mon, December 21, 2009 10:59:02 PM
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Boundary walls

Prayer structures?  I have found a number of what I take to be stone fireplaces, usually two sections of rocks extending out from a large stone and on which a pole could be supported, from which a kettle could hang, or so I have supposed.

Excellent question about old boundary walls, which are no longer boundaries.   I have matched a number of surviving walls to boundary lines on the first maps made of the land sold in the Maps of the Twelve and Twenty Five Divisions for the Dorchester Purchase;(the Great Blue Hill to the Bridgewater Line to the Angle Tree in Attleboro and back to  Blue Hill.  Some of the walls marking those boundaries are now contained within some lots and have been threatened by local development in Stoughton.    These Maps are available from the Stoughton Historical Society.
Dwight Mac Kerron  Stoughton Historical Commission, Stoughton Historical Society. 

________________________________
From: A.J. & Donna Juarez <ellis6065 at charter.net>
To: Barbara <beb100acrewood at comcast.net>
Cc: MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
Sent: Mon, December 21, 2009 4:22:30 PM
Subject: Re: [MassHistPres] Boundary walls

What of the Native American stone prayer structures found throughout New England, are these structures considered stone walls?  There is an effort out of Ware to identify and preserve these sites. aj

On Dec 21, 2009, at 3:42 PM, Barbara wrote:

>The discussion on stone walls and boundary walls is very intriguing.
> 
>In my former life I was a title examiner for an attorney and a deed researcher for a land surveyor.  I am interested in a definition of historic stone boundary walls as well as a legal definition of the same. 
> 
>Stone walls have been important in designating types of land boundaries during most historic periods of time.  In past centuries a wall might have been a legal boundary between abutters or delineate individual fields for one land owner.  Today those same stone walls may or may not delineate legal boundary lines of ownership for individual lots of land. 
> 
>Even a short length of stone wall or remains of a fence including a solitary post could be important in
> determining a property line. 
> 
>What criteria would a HC use to determine if an ancient stone wall was a boundary wall and what time period ( historic or current ) would qualify it to meet that criteria?  Legally this could be very complicated for the owner, town planning boards and a Commission. 
> 
>In my opinion all ancient stone walls especially in New England are important historically and should if at all possible be preserved and protected.
> 
>Thanks for any input and available sources of information,
> 
>Barbara Bailey, Wareham
> 
> 
> 
> ******************************
>For administrative questions regarding this list, please contact Christopher.Skelly at state.ma.us directly.  PLEASE DO NOT "REPLY" TO THE WHOLE LIST.
>MassHistPres mailing list
>MassHistPres at cs.umb.edu
>http://mailman.cs.umb.edu/mailman/listinfo/masshistpres
>********************************
>
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