mill stones & crystal gumdrops

The site included an old stone wall that had been disassembled and was now in massive piles beside its former footprint. And a four-foot-tall millstone that had originally been pulled from the river by a farmer after being discarded by a nearby mill. These reclaimed materials became the foundation for the project.

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The couple landed on an L-shaped wall designed for sitting. “Can we build this with the homies?” Benji asked one day. He and Mern wanted to include their talented friends in the build. We loved this idea. We proposed a workshop—a community walling day—where we teach the basics of dry stone walling and then offer guidance as the homies got to building. Benji and Mern were all about it. 
 

So, one Sunday morning in the fall, eight handy friends showed up with tools and open minds, Benji and Mern made some cozy autumn foods, and the group brought the L to life. It was so fun teaching this group, seeing how their skills in other areas—wood turning, metal fab, carpentry, painting—translated to wonderful attention to detail, structural integrity and aesthetic interest. When the day was done, we took a dip in the river right next to the property. The cold, crystal-clear water was the perfect wind-down to a full day. 

 

And speaking of crystals, Lindsay found one of the wildest stones we’ve come across hidden in the mound of wall material, a piece of white quartz protruding like a gumdrop from a chunk of river stone. 

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Location: Huntington, VT

Materials Used: local river stone, salvaged mill stone