During a two-day workshop at Canterbury Shaker Village on Saturday, October 19, and Sunday, October 20, participants will explore in depth the history, construction, and maintenance of stone walls.

The workshop will be led by local stone mason Kevin Fife, who has worked on the stone walls at the Village for 30 years. “There are stone walls all over the Village grounds,” he said. “Some of these walls are 250 years old, so they need to be maintained.”

These workshops are not just educational, however, as Fife said participants repair stone walls themselves. During the last two stone wall workshops, he said participants helped to restore the stone wall on the northeast corner of the Village cemetery.

“There are lots of different types of stone walls at the Village,” explained Fife, who said that most of them were built with fieldstone and granite that was collected on the property by early Shakers.

According to Fife, some sections of stone walls are either leaning over or have collapsed over the years. “You want the center of gravity to be in the middle of the wall, but years of freeze and thaw will break the wall down,” he added.

“We are so excited to welcome Kevin back for a one-of-a-kind workshop that really allows participants to work with history,” said Kyle Sandler, Education Manager at the Village. “This is an opportunity to learn from an expert and help keep our grounds beautiful.”

Stone Wall Workshop will be held on October 19 and 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The workshop includes materials, a gourmet lunch, and drinks each day. Tuition is $250 per person and $150 for returning participants. To register, visit shakers.org.

Designated as a National Historic Landmark for its architectural integrity and significance, the Village features 25 restored original Shaker buildings, four reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement.

Canterbury Shaker Village is a member of the NH Heritage Museum Trail, which connects the public with culturally rich heritage institutions in New Hampshire. For more information, visit nhmuseumtrail.org.