STONE WALLS AND CELLAR HOLES

With the conclusion of the French and Indian War in 1760, our Upper Valley region saw its first permanent settlements that were largely populated by transplanted Connecticut farmers: hence, the names of Hartford, Norwich, and Lebanon. Between 1760 and 1820 the land was cleared for log homes, agricultural fields, hay meadows, and pastures. Today, the remains of these hilltop farms are evident only by the stone walls and cellar holes left behind in our surrounding re-forested woodlands.

We will begin our study with the Laurentide Ice sheet that invaded the region from central Canada 15,000 to 30,000 years ago and made New England the stony place that it is. We will study the various types of stone walls and how and why they were built. We will have 3 field trips to local cellar hole sites to observe and discuss the historical implications of the archeological-like remains of an earlier and much different age in our local area.  

This course will be one of collective discovery mixing classroom presentation by the leader, self-directed use of a text, library research, and discussion. For the field trips, additional time to reach sites and easy walking capability on trail and slightly off will be required.  

Class is limited to 15 members.

JOSEPH "JAY" DAVIS took his BA from Dartmouth majoring in American Literature, and his MBA from New York University. His interest in stone walls began years ago in Fairfield County, Connecticut, where he lived while working in New York. Since moving permanently to the Upper Valley in 2000, Mr. Davis has hiked off trail and "thrown up" roads many times searching for cellar holes and other evidence of hilltop communities. He will share his knowledge and expects to learn much from those who join him in the pursuit of this subject.