The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County Launches Dry Stack Stone Wall Community Workshop
The community event series is in partnership with Martin Beevers of Old England Rock Walls, and will cover history of the walls, importance of preservations; free and open to the public
FRANKLIN, TN – The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, a leading preservation organization with the mission to preserve, promote, and advocate for historic places, stories, and culture, has launched an original event series in partnership with Martin Beevers of Old England Rock Walls that will deliver hands-on preservation impact in the community.
Practical Preservation x Old England Rock Walls: Dry Stack Stone Wall Community Workshop, offers two workshops (with the possibility of further expansion) exploring the basic principles of dry stone walling. The workshop will offer hands-on repairing of the historic dry stack stone wall at Hunterwood, located on the corner of Hillsboro Road and Manley Lane in Franklin.
“The Dry Stack Stone Wall workshop series shines a light on the deep history these walls have throughout Middle Tennessee and sets the stage for their future preservation,” said Anna Marcum, Senior Director of Preservation Heritage Foundation of Williamson County. “These walls are a character defining feature of the Tennessee landscape and are integral to maintaining Williamson County’s unique sense of place. Our goal with these events is to share the cultural importance of preserving these structures and teach the basics of how to repair them to inspire future preservation.”
Middle Tennessee has a deep-rooted history in the art of dry stack stone walls. These walls can be traced to the earliest European settlement of what would become Tennessee and are the continuation of a centuries-long English, Irish, and Scottish building tradition. The craft was then taught to enslaved people who built many of these walls. Following emancipation, many established themselves as stack stone masons. The goal of the workshop is to not only preserve and repair these walls, but to build interest and respect for the trade in a new generation.
The workshop will be in partnership with renowned expert Martin Beevers of Old England Rock Walls. Beevers is a UK native, where the practice originated, who now lives in Nashville and is on a journey to help reintroduce the forgotten art of dry-stone walling.
“I look forward to working with The Heritage Foundation of Williamson Country to showcase the importance of stack stone walls and give the art of dry stack stone walling the visibility it deserves,” said Beevers. “If a craft is not taught for two generations, we risk losing the knowledge of the craft. These workshops are integral to preserving the craft of dry stone walling in Tennessee.”
After holding an initial session on September 21 and 22, there are two additional sessions scheduled for the two-day workshop, taking place on October 12 – 13, and November 2 – 3. If continued repair work is needed, additional sessions may be added.
“When I got involved with the neighborhood Homeowners Association I wondered if there was a way to preserve the crumbling walls that lined much of our common areas. A mutual friend introduced me to Martin Beevers, who has a deep passion for these walls and the history dating back to his native UK roots,” said Carter Gentry, Head of Hunterwood Homeowners Association. “I heard Martin speak at the Williamson County Heritage Foundation and knew I had found not one but two passionate partners in restoration and preservation.”
The community workshop is completely free, and open to the public. Typically, introductory training for this craft costs upwards of $600.
Those interested can register online prior to the workshop, space is limited.
ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Since 1967, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been dedicated to preserving Williamson County’s architectural, geographic, and cultural heritage as well as promoting the ongoing revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Notable projects include The Franklin Theatre, Roper’s Knob, parts of the Franklin battlefield and the Old, Old Jail. Events and festivals produced by the Heritage Foundation such as Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, PumpkinFest and Dickens of a Christmas bring an estimated 300,000+ locals and visitors to downtown Franklin each year, creating a more than $10 million economic impact annually. The Heritage Foundation owns and operates The Franklin Theatre, Downtown Franklin Association, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens, and its newest historic adaptive reuse project, The History & Culture Center of Williamson County. For more information about the Heritage Foundation, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.
