Can we make something cool with all these rocks?
The old dairy barn has seen better days
A drive around the woodlands of Warren, and Sussex County, New Jersey often provides scenes of nature and clues of history. A random lime kiln on the side of a road is often a great showcase for how the craftsmanship of our forefathers can stand the test of time. Another extremely common feature are the rock rows through the woods once used to divide farm lands which have since become housing rows and once again forested areas. Very often these rows still signify a property line. Other times their location is not as ideal. As properties change over time and homeowners seek to improve them, we are often asked... "Can we make something cool with all these rocks?"
Homeowners Jennifer and Kurt own a property in Warren County, NJ that has a fairly rich history. It has been the foundation for several families to raise their children and animals alike. Many years ago the land served as a working dairy farm, and still holds many of the historic characteristics, from pastures to remnants of the old stone barn. One feature was a rock row along a ravine that used to serve as the original access road to the property. Jennifer and Kurt never really gave it much thought as it resembled many of the other rock rows in the area which were pretty much just a dumping ground for rocks cleared from pastures and fields. This situation was no different. Until something changed.
A storm not commonly seen
The old access road was like many access roads, a path cut through the woods, lined with stones. In this case many of the stones were the foundation stones to the original barn of the property. Many still stained with lime mortar. It is safe to say that Jennifer and Kurt probably did not give it much thought.
In 2012 hurricane Sandy came up the east coast causing havoc on many coastal states. It became a significant part of this old farm's history because it took down a stand of weaker trees which lined the old access road, leaving the road and rock piles exposed and out in the open for all to see. Like in many situations we hear about, this was a shock, but nature takes it's course. Once the trees were cleaned up and the property returned to its new normal, a new pain point emerged.
Feel good about being home
As you enter the current property down the more modern, long, windy driveway through the woods...the first thing you see is the newly created meadow with the rock piles of the old dairy barn out and exposed. This in itself was never much of an issue, but the new problem became that it was nearly impossible to maintain all the weeds and invasive plant growth within the rocks, which by June made for a real eyesore. That could make it hard to feel good about the property which otherwise has brought so many memories and joy to the families that live and visit there.
Jennifer and Kurt knew they wanted a change, but they were not sure what to do. They knew they liked the easy care of farm land landscaping, not wanting formal beds and plantings. They knew they wanted to feel different about their property when they arrived. They knew they wanted something to stand the test of time and hand down when their time to pass the property on finally came. We got to work helping them visualize what was possible.
A process designed to help
We started off by agreeing that our pre-construction planning services were a good option to helping them get clarity of what was possible. The idea of a retainer based consulting model which allowed them to be flexible with how the time was used was attractive since the property had several areas slated to be renovated over a 5 year window. Year one was the biggest pain point of the meadow, so we got to work.
We talked about numerous ideas, created a few concepts, and carefully considered exactly how much rock there was estimated to be. One thing was certain. We didn't want to move it more than we had to. As a group we decided that freestanding dry stone walls provided a sense of power and appeal. Wouldn't it be nice to see this powerful rock wall appear into your vision as you came up the driveway, leading your eyes to the stone house? It was a unanimous yes.
Not for the faint
Undertaking such a project is no easy task. It requires the right tools and people, and most importantly knowledge to make sure that they actually were getting an heirloom grade feature that would outlive all of us. We got working with extreme consideration for the style, techniques, structure, and site logistics on how to transform half of the 140 tons of stone available into something special. Half because the second wall will be built next year.
We are documenting the process of the wall building to show the level of work and detail required in such a project. The video below is the beginning of the project and a series of videos to come.