ANTHONY: IT IS A COMMON QUESTION -- WHY WOULD ANYONE TAKE THE TROUBLE TO BUILD STONE WALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF A FOREST?
THE ANSWER OF COURSE IS THAT THESE WEREN’T ALWAYS WOODS.
THEY WERE IN FACT FARMERS FIELDS.
>> THERE IS A SENSE OF SADNESS HERE TO THE WALLS.
BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE WERE HAPPILY FARMING HERE AND THEN THEY LEFT.
ANTHONY: ROBERT THORSON, PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT AND AUTHOR OF SEVERAL BOOKS ON NEW ENGLAND’S STONEWALLS.
>> WE’RE LOOKING THROUGH THE RUINS OF A FOREIGN CIVILIZATION IN NEW ENGLAND.
ANTHONY: THE GREAT ERA OF WALL-BUILDING IN NEW ENGLAND CAME AFTER THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
BUT CLEARING THE FIELDS WAS NOT , A ONE-TIME AFFAIR.
>> WE HAVE A SAYING, THAT THEY GROW EVERY YEAR.
ANTHONY: FRANK CARLSON OF CARLSON ORCHARD IN THE TOWN OF HARVARD.
>> YOU WILL BE MOWING AND SEE A ROCK THAT JUST WAS NOT THERE LAST YEAR.
IT MOVES TO THE SURFACE WITH EACH THAW.
ANTHONY: EVERY WINTER BRINGS A NEW CROP OF FIELD STONES TO THE SURFACE.
SOMETIMES CALLED NEW ENGLAND POTATOES.
>> THEY GET HEAVED, THAT IS THE STUFF I MAKE ALL OF OUR GOODS FROM.
SHAYNA: NOW, TO MOST FOLKS, THIS MIGHT LOOK LIKE A -- >> I SEE OPPORTUNITY.
I WAS AN ECONOMIST AND I SEE THE CHANCE TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.
ANTHONY: AMERICAN STONE CRAFT.
HE HAS PARTNERED WITH 70 NEW ENGLAND FARMS TO TURN THEIR EXCESS FIELD STONES INTO PLATEWEAR. BOWLS AND SERVING PLATTERS.
INSIDE EACH OF THESE ROCKS LIES THE POTENTIAL PIECE OF ART.
>> YOU ARE LOOKING FOR ANYTHING UNUSUAL.
A GOOD ROCK IS JUST A LITTLE WEIRD.
ANTHONY: THE ROCKS ARE TAKEN TO AMERICAN STONE CRAFT’S HEADQUARTERS, WHERE THEY ARE SAWN OPEN.
EVEN AT THIS STAGE, ONLY ABOUT HALF WILL MAKE THE CUT.
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF STONES THAT ARE A BORING COLOR OR HAVE SERIOUS FISSURES.
ANTHONY: MORE SIZING AND DISPLACING OF THE STONES BRINGS OUT THEIR PERSONALITY.
>> THEY EVEN LABEL THE DIFFERENT FARMS THE STONES COME FROM.
YOU CAN SEE THE VARIETY OF STONES GATHERED, EVEN FROM THE SAME FARMS.
ANTHONY: AMERICAN STONE CRAFT SELLS ITS PRODUCTS AT THE NEW BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET, AS WELL AS ONLINE AND THAT HUNDREDS OF RETAILERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> THIS IS A NEW ONE.
ANTHONY: HE PROVIDES PARTNER FARMS WITH PRODUCT TO SELL AT THEIR FARM STANDS.
FRANK HAD HIS DOUBTS.
>> AT FIRST MY BROTHERS AND I THOUGHT HE WAS A LITTLE OFF HIS ROCKER.
[NO AUDIO] NOW, WHEN HE BRINGS THE FINISHED PRODUCT FOR US, SOMETHING A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.
I WISH I HAD THOUGHT OF IT MYSELF.
>> INNOVATIVE AS THE PRODUCT IS, IT IS NOT THE FIRST TIME A LOWLY LITTLE ENGLAND FEEL STONE HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO WORK OF ART.
>> IF STONEWALLS HAVE AN ORACLE, IT IS SURELY THE LATE POET LAUREATE ROBERT FROST.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT A WALL -- ANTHON IT MAKES THESE HUMBLE GREY BOULDERS THE MOST FAMOUS FIELD STONES IN ALL OF NEW ENGLAND.
>> THEY SAY GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
>> I WOULD SAY IT IS THE MOST FAMOUS STONEWALL IN THE WORLD.
I THINK MORE PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS THEN HADRIAN’S WALL IN NEW ENGLAND.
WE HAVE COME -- ANTHONY: WE HAVE COME TO THE ROBERT FROST WALL IN DERRY.
OUR GUIDE, THE DERRY TOWN HISTORIAN.
>> IT HAS THAT WONDERFUL OPENING LINE, SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOES NOT LOVE A WALL.
IT IS LIKE A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT OPENINGS, YOU CAN’T MISS WITH A LINE LIKE THAT.
ANTHONY: THE WALL AND THE OLD STONEWALL OUTFRONT ARE LOVELY ON THIS CLEAR WINTER MORNING.
BUT HE INFORMS US WE ARE ON THE WRONG TRACK.
THE FAMOUS WALL DIVIDING FROST’S PROPERTY FROM HIS NEIGHBORS IS HIDDEN AWAY, NOW OVERGROWN BY FOREST.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THE HOUSE IS.
THIS WALL I THINK IS BEING SHARED BY YOU AND I.
YOU WILL BE KEEPING IT TO YOURSELF SO NO ONE WILL STEAL THESE STONES, WILLIAM?
ANTHONY: WE WILL HAVE TO FILE THIS UNDER PROMISES TO KEEP.
>> YOU CAN TAKE THIS ABSOLUTELY FOR GRANTED.
ANTHONY: OUCH.
SHAYNA: BACK TO AMERICAN STONE CRAFT, THEY CUSTOMIZE WORK NOW.
IF YOU HAVE A SPECIAL STONE, THEY CAN CREATE SOMETHING FROM IT.
ANTHONY: MANY BELIEVE EARLY COLONISTS BUILT OF THE WALLS, BUT IT WAS REALLY THE EARLY 1800S.
THE COLONISTS TOOK THE TREES DOWN.
THE NEXT GENERATIONS BUILT THE STONEWALLS.
SHAY