Welcome to The Stone Trust

Established in southern Vermont in 2010, The Stone Trust’s mission is to preserve and advance the art and craft of dry stone walling. We do this through an expanding program of educational events and outreach projects. The Stone Trust is a multifaceted resource engaged in preserving the natural use of plentiful stone in simple, gratifying ways.

The Stone Trust Center is the only facility in North America that provides year round educational and DSWA certification opportunities for all levels and abilities. The Stone Trust is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. It relies on contributions from people like you to keep its programs going. Help us continue to preserve and advance the art and craft of Dry Stone Walling!

Quick Links

• Looking for hands-on training to build dry stone walls? Click Upcoming Workshops
• Want to become a Certified Dry Stone Waller? Click Upcoming Certifications
• Looking for a contractor to build a wall? Click Certified Wallers
• Want to read up on the basics of dry stone walling? Click How to Build Walls
• Looking for amazing photos of dry stone walls and features? Click Photo Gallery
• Are you an Architect, Landscape Architect, Engineer or Designer looking for specifications for dry stone walls? Click Design Information

Support The Stone Trust

Your support makes our work possible. Please consider helping us preserve and advance the craft of dry stone walling by making a donation today. Thank you.

Events and Items of Interest, January 20

Posted January 20, 2021
The Yorkshire Dales: From Herriot to Home Stone Trust Professional Member Andrew Pighills shares information about a popular event that he offers in February. Find information and register here. Nature Revisited: The Podcast Long time gardner and producer of Nature Revisited Stefan von Norden was in touch last week to let us know about his [...]


2021 workshops now open for registration!

Posted January 20, 2021
Inquiries come in from near and far, as far afield as Seattle and Kansas. The question: Are we planning to run workshops in 2021? Be assured that we are! From July through October 2020, The Stone Trust successfully and safely ran workshops in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Minnesota. Our strategy: enroll at half capacity to [...]


January Waller of the Month: Brian Post

Posted January 7, 2021
BRIAN POST (Vermont) started building walls at age 10. Brian achieved his DSWA-GB Master Craftsman certification in 2016, 11 years after he took his initial level walling test. In that time Brian also became a licensed landscape architect and started his own firm, Standing Stone LLC. Over the past decade he has served many roles while helping to grow The Stone Trust, including President, Executive Director, and now as Director of Education and Training. He remains committed to sharing dry stone walling expertise and is always learning more himself.



Using a Tracer Chisel To Split Stone

Posted December 30, 2020
Brian Post shares tips and techniques for using a Trow and Holden tracer chisel on several types of stones.  Learn some do’s and dont’s when using a tracing chisel to split stones for dry stone walling applications. The 1.5″ Trow and Holden Hand Tracer (Tracing Chisel) was used throughout this video along with the Trow and Holden Hand Hammer.



A Look Back at 2020 and Onward into 2021

Posted December 17, 2020
Dear friends of The Stone Trust, Those of us who work regularly on Stone Trust projects count ourselves among the fortunate in this year of loss and suffering for individuals and communities across the nation and the globe. We hope you, too, find yourselves among those who remain healthy and secure. We feel inexpressible sorrow [...]


Meet Pete Ryder, Board Member

Posted December 16, 2020
Pete joined the board of The Stone Trust (TST) in 2017. He took on the role of board president in 2018 and has guided the growth and development of TST for the last three years. Pete is certified by the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DSWA-GB) as a Level 2 waller. Currently he [...]


Master Class: Cloddiau

Posted December 14, 2020
One of the major misconceptions people hold about clawdd construction is that it is particularly difficult to course the stone. Compared to coursing a dry stone wall it is really easy.



December Waller of the Month: Brian Fairfield

Posted December 14, 2020
BRIAN FAIRFIELD (Maine) says “I’ve been working with stone for the better part of two decades now, and the one thing that I keep learning about myself is that there’s lots of learning to do. I almost always work alone, but when I do get the opportunity to work with more highly skilled individuals, I’ll gladly make the trek to soak up knowledge.


In Need of a Last Minute Gift?

Posted December 14, 2020
In the Stone Trust store we’ve added gift bundles for all types of wallers, from the walling-curious to the waller looking to jump ahead. In addition, you’ll also find our usual stock of tools, curated for their effectiveness and longevity, as well as a library of knowledge to help you on your way. Our 2021 [...]


Read it again! “Walls That Stay Built” by Brian Post

Posted December 3, 2020
Kernels of Wisdom from This Primer on Building an Enduring Dry Stone Wall If you learn to properly lay dry stone, you can build walls that out-last your great-grandchildren. Mortar hurts more than it helps. Base the design on the site and the stone. As you start out, aim to build 5 sq. ft. to [...]