UK-Lexington Arboretum Children's Garden

Work continues on this community project, with the Conservancy providing stone sourcing and installation for this wonderful project. The garden is designed to represent Kentucky's varying terrain, and includes traditional walls, weeping springs, and more. The Arboretum is open to the public, so come on out and see our work.

2009 National Walling Competition

The Conservancy's annual walling competition is the only one of its kind in the nation (as far as we know, and the world of drystone in America is kind of small!). This year more than thirty competitors traveled from ten different states to compete in three different divisions: novice, amateur and professional. The all-day event was almost rained out, but luckily all the rain fell the day before. I say lucky, but check out the standing water. The competitors slugged through however and came through winningly!

PTN Mini Rendezvous

In July, the Conservancy participated as a sponsor and demonstrator during the annual Preservation Trades Network's Mini Rendezvous. The event, which brings together many traditional trades practitioners, was held in Frankfort, Kentucky over the Independence Day weekend. We designed a planter bed for the park's entrance sign (where the event was held). We combined all three styles of traditional Kentucky rock fence in the design, and we're quite pleased with the way it turned out!

Maker's Mark Workshop

In June of this year, we returned to the world famous distillery near Bardstown, to help them restore more of their rock fences. As you can see, the fences had fallen out quite a bit, but we were able to rebuild the fence, and it's great looking!

Old Richmond Road Volunteer Work Day, Fayette County

On June 13th volunteers came out to Old Richmond Road in the foggy morning to continue repairs they had begun last fall on an historic roadside fence. The fence had been completely demolished by a non-certified mason who took the money and ran! The fence is a long one, and it will take a few more days like this to get it fully repaired. As you can see from the photos the volunteers are working under tight, potentially dangerous conditions. This is often the case with our roadside fences. I like the photo of the horses trotting down to see what's going on.

Special Features Workshop, Mercer County

On May 30th and 31st, the Conservancy conducted a Special Features Workshop for participants who had taken at least one introductory workshop. The participants learned under the tutelage of master craftsmen, and came away with enhanced skills. The workshop was held at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill near Harrodsburg, KY, and the feature will remain as an outdoor installation that will add to the experience as this historic site. Congratulations to all who participated! I just wish I could get them to leave the water bottles out of the photos!

Ruddle's Mill Volunteer Work Day, Bourbon County

On Saturday, May 30th, volunteers gathered to repair the old cemetery walls surrounding the Stonermouth Presbyterian Church Cemetery in historic Ruddle's Mill in Bourbon County, Kentucky. On hand were board members and volunteers from the local historical society in charge of protecting the cemetery. The cemetery is very large and is completely surrounded by rock fence. Images are of the preparatory work where a foundation course was set to allow small vehicles to enter the cemetery for grounds maintenance.

Shaker Village Volunteer Work Day, Mercer County, KY

On Saturday, May 16th, six volunteers made repairs to the Turnpike Era rock fences that line the old US 33 route at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. The Volunteer Work Day was in conjunction with the National Barn Alliance's annual National Barn Conference, held at Shaker Village that weekend. Participants in the conference stopped by on Saturday morning to have their questions answered by me and our mason leader.

Jouett Cemetery Volunteer Work Day, Woodford County, KY

Our first Volunteer Work Day of 2009 was held on a chilly, rainy day in Woodford County. Thanks to cover provided by canopies our volunteers stayed dry. Four volunteers showed up to offer their skills and time to make two repairs to a very old cemetery wall. The cemetery is part o the Jack Jouett House Historic Site, and is the home of Captain Jack Jouett, the "Paul Revere of the South."

Hebron Cemetery Workshop, Anderson County, KY

Our first workshop of the year had eleven participants, and was held at the historic Hebron Cemetery in Anderson County, KY. The cemetery has a variety of fence type. Participants spent two days learning the proper techniques for dismantling and repairing a rock fence, and encountered one hurdle - a tree that had grown up next to the fence. The solution was to cut the offending trunk of the tree and build the fence over its stump. The site also had a natural spring with a dry-laid wall above it.

2009 Public Workshop Schedule Announced

The Dry Stone Conservancy's 2009 Public Workshop Schedule has now posted to our website. These workshops fill very quickly because they are extremely popular, so if you are interested, be sure to sign up quickly. There are some really interesting Kentucky sites this year, including Lower Howard's Creek Nature and Heritage Preserve and Maker's Mark Distillery. Come join us!

Kentucky Outreach on the Road

Already this year, I've been to three meetings where I presented my slideshow on the Conservancy and Kentucky's rich drystone history. In February, I have two more meetings scheduled. If you would like to schedule a presentation for your organization, please contact us. The photo is from the presentation in Georgetown, KY for the Scott County Historical Society.

Legacy Trail

Recently the Conservancy met with engineers and designers from Stand Associates and CBA to discuss options for including drystone elements along the multi-use trail being developed in Lexington leading up to the 2010 World Equestrian Games. We got into the planning stage right at the beginning, so there's a strong chance that drystone will show up along the trail. Visit the Legacy Center social networking site to learn more about this great public trail development!

Grants

In 2008, the Conservancy received a grant of $3,500 from the Kentucky Arts Council to design and install interpretive signs at River Park in Frankfort, KY to educate visitors about the drystone resources in the park. Since 1999, the Conservancy has partnered with the Kentucky Folklife Festival to demonstrate the traditional craft of dry-laid stone masonry. In that time, we have built seven structures at the park, but until now, they've had no signs to interpret them. The Conservancy also submitted a letter of inquiry to the 1772 Foundation to apply for a $50,000 grant to fund a rock fence repair initiative here in the Bluegrass. We received positive early response, but may not be able to apply until April of 2009. Keep your fingers crossed!

Rock Fence Preservation Grant Program

It's official! A state level grant program now exists to assist landowners with rock fence preservation. The administrative regulations have been approved, and the law is now on the books. The only problem is, there's no money in the program! So, during the 2009 legislative session, we will work to educate legislators about the importance of this program. The program is administered by the Kentucky Heritage Council, and is a huge step forward toward preserving our rich heritage.

More Than a Rock Campaign

In November the Conservancy launched a postcard awareness campaign, "More Than a Rock". The message of the campaign is a simple one - to raise local awareness of historic drystone resources in the Bluegrass. Six different cards will be mailed throughout 2009.

Annual Campaign

I know it's rude to ask for money right after we were introduced, but that is what's going on right now with the Conservancy. We just launched our annual campaign to raise operating funds, and we appreciate your donations in any amount. Please visit our website to learn more!

My First Post

Welcome to the first post on our blog. I am the Executive Director of the Conservancy. I started this job a little over one year ago, and in the span of time until now I have learned so much that i didn't know about our shared history in rock. I created this blog to track local preservation efforts, and to report on activities that we are involved in. Please make sure to add your comments, and enjoy the blog!