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.

For Your Convenience, Packs & Sets

Posted May 13, 2021
If you’re new to walling and wondering what information resources and tools would be the most useful, the Beginner’s Walling Pack from our online store might be just the thing. Basic and affordable, it has the essentials to get you started.



May Waller of the Month: Sam Brakeley

Posted May 13, 2021
SAM BRAKELEY (Vermont) is the owner of Hermit Woods Trailbuilders, and has been building stone walls around Vermont and New Hampshire for almost ten years. Sam writes: “In addition to the art and craft of dry stone walling, I love the physical nature of the pursuit. To come home at the end of the day with tired hands and sore muscles…I know I’ve built something. I get a good night’s rest every time!” He is DSWA-GB Level 2 and also instructs at The Stone Trust.



Master Class: Building For Success, Part 2

Posted May 13, 2021
Sketches and Text by Brian Post Building with Correct Line and Batter Line refers to the horizontal straightness of the wall. Batter refers to the angle of the faces of the wall from vertical. Many level 2 testers struggle immensely with getting the line and batter correct while working under the time pressure of the [...]


Spring Test Day at the Stone Trust Center

Posted May 12, 2021
For the Stone Trust, May brings Spring Certification Test Day. On May 17, eleven people will gather at the Stone Trust Center in Dummerston, Vermont to test their walling skills. Five of these men and women will spend seven hours stripping out and rebuilding 27 square feet of a double-face freestanding wall. They will achieve […]



May Day Brings Novices and Experienced Wallers to New Hampshire Workshops

Posted May 11, 2021
Workshop day dawned chill and windy. Seventeen people, fourteen participants and three teachers gathered around two double-face freestanding dry stone walls. Each person may have felt eager to feel the warmth that comes from a working body. But you have to know what you’re doing before you start working. How are these walls built? Why [...]


Thanks for inaugurating Stone Trust workshops in Tennessee!

Posted May 11, 2021
We so appreciate the time you took to travel to Kingston Springs to participate in the very first Stone Trust dry stone walling workshop in the southeastern United States. Thank you! You helped establish the foundation for a growing annual schedule of workshops from our Curriculum in Dry Stone. Several of you asked us to […]



Inaugural Stone Trust workshop in Tennessee!

Posted May 11, 2021
We had a great turnout for the first Stone Trust workshop in Nashville. Participants came from Georgia, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Michigan. A 50/50 male/female split of beginners with little or no experience. This was a two-day introduction to dry stone walling covering all the basic techniques required to construct a section of freestanding wall. [...]


3-Day Feature Build Workshop: May 14 – 16

Posted May 6, 2021
In this 3-day workshop, you can build an arch, a square or round corner, or a squeeze stile, features relatively common in modern landscaping. You'll also find them in the Dry Stone Walling Association Master Craftsman test. We’ll introduce you to the theory and techniques for all the features being built. You can use the [...]


Master Class: Building For Success, Part 1

Posted April 30, 2021
Sketches and Text by Brian Post Leaping the Level 2 Hurdle The level 2 (intermediate) DSWA-GB certification test has proven to be quite difficult for many wallers who have passed level 1 (initial) certification. Level 2 aims to challenge your ability to make good choices, plan ahead, and build with correct line and batter. In [...]


Scholarships Awarded!

Posted April 30, 2021
Congratulations to Trevor Bickford, Whitney Brown, Melanie Kessler, Jonathan (Jonny) Mangini, and Kim Myers!  Our selection committee awarded scholarships to these wallers, each of whom met a very tight deadline to apply for the 2021 Stone Trust Entry-Level Professional Pathway Scholarship. A decision is pending for a sixth applicant, from whom we sought additional information. […]