>> THIS IS "CHRONICLE" ON WCVB CHANNEL 5.
>> ONLY IN NEW ENGLAND, STONE WALLS BY THE MILE.
>> THEY WRAP THE EARTH 10 TIMES.
>> WITH OF THE SUNRISE OF THE WINTER SOLSTICE.
>> AND THEIR FUTURE GUARANTEED BY VERMONT’S SCHOOL ROCK.
>> THIS IS THE ONLY INDOOR TRAINING FACILITY IN NORTH AMERICA.
>> FINDING THE MOST FAMOUS STONEWALL OF ALL.
>> YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
>> PLUS -- >> AN AVERAGE DAY TO MEET IS ABOUT TWO TONS.
>> HEAVYWEIGHT ART.
LARGE AND SMALL.
HERE ROMANCING THE STONE ON THE , MAIN STREETS AND BACK ROADS OF NEW ENGLAND, NEXT ON "CHRONICLE ." ♪ >> THEY LINE OUR STREETS, DIVI
OUR PROPERTIES, AND EXUDE A GHOSTLY PRESENCE IN OUR WOODLANDS.
MARKERS OF A REMOTE AGRICULTURAL PAST.
IN FACT OLD STONE WALLS ARE SO , COMMON IN NEW ENGLAND, MANY OF US BARELY SEE THEM ANYMORE.
NOT ROBERT THORSON.
>> I AM SMITTEN BY THEM.
I AM SO SMITTEN BY THEM THAT I COULD NOT EVEN THINK STRAIGHT.
>> WHEN THIS GEOLOGIST ARRIVED IN NEW ENGLAND FOR AN ACADEMIC APPOINTMENT, HE HAD NEVER ENCOUNTERED AN AUTHENTIC OLD STONE WALL.
>> MY WIFE THOUGHT I WAS NUTS.
BECAUSE I BECAME OBSESSED WITH STONE WALL MY SPARE MOMENTS OF THE THINKING, DOING WERE DRIVING , AROUND THINKING ABOUT
STONE WALLS.
IT WAS A LOVE STORY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
I JUST TRIED TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER.
REPORTER: THE RESULT, STONE STONE, THE MAGNIFICENT HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND PASTA STONE WALLS.
GEOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGY, AND CULTURAL APPRECIATION.
HIS BOOK HAS BECOME A MANIFESTO FOR STONEWALL ADMIRERS AND PRESERVATIONISTS.
>> I HAD NO IDEA PEOPLE WOULD BE THAT INTERESTED.
AND THEY ARE INTERESTED.
ULTIMATELY, STONEWALLS TO ME ARE THE DEFINING ICON TO INTERIOR NEW ENGLAND.
YOU CAN GO TO OHIO OR UPSTATE NEW YORK AND FIND CHURCH STEEPLES AND TOWN GREENS AND SUGAR MAPLES.
THAT IS ALL THERE.
BUT WHAT YOU ARE MISSING IS THE STONE WALL.
THE STONEWALL CANNOT BE TRANSPORTED.
IT ENDS AT THE BOUNDARY OF NEW ENGLAND.
REPORTER: HE ESTIMATES THERE ARE 240,000 LINEAR MILES OF STONE WALL HERE IN NEW ENGLAND.
>> THE EARTH IS ONLY 24,000 MILES IN ITS CIRCUMFERENCE.
YOU COULD TAKE THAT AND WRAP THAT AROUND THE EARTH 10 TIMES.
REPORTER: MOST OF OUR STONEWALLS ARE 200 YEARS OLD.
THE ART OF STONEWALL BUILDING SHOWS NO SIGN OF DYING OUT.
>> YOU PICK UP A ROCK AND YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING TO TRY IT OUT.
THAT WORKS PRETTY GOOD.
REPORTER: TALK TO PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH STONE AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THERE IS SOMETHING ADDICTIVE ABOUT FITTING THE RIGHT BLOCK INTO THE RIGHT SPOT.
>> WHEN IT CLICKS, THERE IS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS IN YOUR HEAD.
I WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN, THAT WAS AWESOME.
REPORTER: PETER WELCH HAS JOINED THE GROUP OF STONEMASONS AT A STONE TRUST IN VERMONT.
DEDICATED WALLERS ARE OFTEN A SOLITARY LOT.
BUT HERE, THEY CAN GATHER TO TRADE TECHNIQUES AND TIPS ON DRY STONE WALLING WHERE NO MORTAR IS USED.
>> YOU GET TO WATCH PEOPLE CREATE IN FRONT OF YOU.
IT IS JAZZ-LIKE.
IT IS LIKE FREE-FORM JAZZ.
YOU HAVE A STRUCTURE.
THAT IS A COOL WAY TO USE THAT ROCK.
YOU GET TO REALLY RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE HOW PEOPLE SOLVE PROBLEMS.
REPORTER: THE STONE TRUST HAS FOUND HOME AT THE SCOTT FARM, BEST KNOWN IN WARMER SEASONS FOR ITS HEIRLOOM APPLE ORCHARD.
BUT THE OLD DAIRY BARN HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A SCHOOL OF ROCK, OF SORTS.
>> IN THE BARN, THIS IS THE ONLY INDOOR TRAINING FACILITY IN NORTH AMERICA.
REPORTER: BRIAN POST, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE STONE TRUST, WHICH ALSO PUTS ON WORKSHOPS FOR AMATEURS AND OTHER WALLER WANT TO BE -- WANNABES.
>> WE HAVE BEEN GROWING TREMENDOUSLY WE HAVE PEOPLE ALL , THE WAY FROM THE WEST COAST.
AND CANADA.
IT IS HUGE AND GROWING FAST.
REPORTER: THE TRUST IS THE ONLY PLACE IN THE U.S. THAT HOSTS REGULAR CERTIFICATION TESTS FOR PROFESSIONAL WALLERS.
THE CHALLENGES BECOME DOWNRIGHT DIABOLICAL, REQUIRING STEP STYLES, PASS THROUGHS, AND BUILDING ON SLOPES.
THE TESTS ARE NO WALK IN THE PARK.
HE IS ONE OF THE HALF DOZEN CERTIFIED LEVEL WALLERS IN THREE THE COUNTRY.
>> MANY WALLERS, MYSELF INCLUDED, HAVE TO RETAKE TESTS.
IT IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN BREEZE THROUGH.
REPORTER: MEANWHILE, OUR SEASONED HANDS ARE GETTING CLOSE TO FINISHING THEIR TASK.
HE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PUTTING THAT LAST STONE IN.
IT IS REALLY AWESOME.
I WAS LOOKING AROUND LIKE, I AM GOING TO DO THIS.
I WILL GO FOR IT.
I DON’T SEE ANYBODY ELSE GETTING IT.
IT IS REALLY WONDERFUL.
SHAYNA: THE WOMEN ONLY WORKSHOPS ARE DOING WELL, AS WELL.
THEY ARE BY WOMEN CERTIFIED IN STONE WALLING.
IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN BUILDING A STONEWALL THEY CAN HELP YOU FIND A CERTIFIED STONE WALL BUILDER AS WELL.
ANTHONY: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A ROCK AND A STONE?
THE ANSWER WE GOT SOMEWHAT JOKINGLY WAS, A ROCK IS AN UNEMPLOYED STONE.
ONCE IT IS PUT TO USE, IT BECOMES A STONE.
IT FINDS ITS PURPOSE.
SHAYNA: I LIKE THAT.
WHERE OTHERS SEE A PILE OF ROCKS, GERALD SEES HIDDEN BEAUTY.
>> MY BROTHERS AND I THOUGHT HE FIRST, WAS OFF HIS ROCKER.
ANTHONY: ROCK PILES TRANSFOR