Sermons in Stone: The Stone Walls of New England and New York

by Susan Allport

In 1871 there were 252,539 miles of stone walls in New England and New York―enough to circle the earth ten times.
What do we actually know about these structures? About the people who built them, and why they were built? Stone walls are not simply monuments to the skill of Yankee farmers. The historical record makes clear that many were built by slaves, Indians, indentured servants, and children.

Sermons in Stone is the surprising history of the walls, a story that begins in the Ice Age and has been shaped by the fencing dilemmas of the nineteenth century, by conflicts between Native Americans and colonists over land use, by America's waves of immigration and suburbanization. Beautifully illustrated by David Howell, this is an illuminating and entertaining work of the first rank.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nature, Travel, Geology, American History

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 1991

Reviews

[Beth]

Very interesting. Worth reading to learn a bit more about the history and types of walls.

[Rebecca Lynn]

Honestly not as good as I thought it would be but kind of interesting in parts.

[Laura]

I saw this in passing on a library shelf and so checked it out on a whim. It was a good find. I had no idea stone walls were so interesting, or that you could learn so much from them.

Reading the book is like reading ahistory of New England through its walls. The way they built them and where they built them changed as farms and towns and societies developed. I didn't know that you can build a stone wall without any mortar, and that if you do it right it will still be standing a couple hundred years later. I've been paying closer attention as I drive around and there are stone walls everywhere. It makes me want to go exploring.

[Kelly]

You'd think it may be hard to make a book about stonewalls interesting, yet that's exactly what Susan Allport did in this book (which I read for work).

[Roxanne]

The subtitle indicates that the book will cover all of New England. Instead it focuses mainly on a very small area: Westchester County in New York, Fairfield County in Connecticut, and Martha's Vineyard.
The book is not at all comprehensive either with regard to sources used or its geographical coverage.

'Sermons in stone' is obviously not literal (the walls were not built by ministers), but it is not clear how stone walls have figuratively to do with sermons.

Many too many misspellings -- I'm surprised a publishing company like WW Norton did not have a better editor or proofreader for this book.

[Jonathan]

A very engaging and informative look at the stone walls of New England. Allport covers all angles of this piece of New England history -- technical information about wall types and building techniques, sociological and political history, and journalistic looks at the state of stone walls and wall building at the time the book was written (the early 1980s). Even as someone who grew up surrounded by these walls, I found that I held many misconceptions about their history, and had even more ignorance about their real stories. Highly recommended.

[Jacqueline Masumian]

This piece of nonfiction is perfect for anyone who has ever walked through a New England wood and wondered why it is crisscrossed with old stone walls. Susan Allport does a fine job of providing the history of not only the stone walls, but also how there came to be so much stone in New England in the first place (hint: glacier). Both the text and the illustrations provide excellent information about what many of us take for granted, the lovely stone walls that line our suburban and rural roads - and crisscross our woodlands.

[Sean]

I bought this on a whim while vacationing in an area with amazing stonewalls. I figured it would give me some insight into the how, why and when the beautiful walls were made and it did just that. If you are interested in history and the lasting rustic utilitarian beauty of stonewalls, this is a great source.

[Bryan]

A fascinating look into the history of stone walls in New York and New England. A severely understudied and not well documented subject. Provides context going back to the glacial period to today on stone walls and their origins.

[Jordan Taylor]

Super informative overview! I think this is a good book to start with if you want the basics of why and how stone walls were built, but not if you want a lot of detailed anecdotes. Some outdated language, as well (“Indians” instead of “Native Americans,” for example).

[Jeremy Clay]

This was an interesting book, but I was hoping it would give more focus to stone walls as property lines. It is 90% about farming stone walls.

[Susan Beringer]

Recommended by a good friend who is a voracious reader. It was very dry, like a text book but full of information on the subject

[Donna]

“

[Nic]

This book was FASCINATING. So much great info packed in an interesting way; told almost like a story. I learned a lot!

[Carl Williams]

One of my favorites for looking at local landscape and talking with high school students about what the folks before us have left behind. Well written, clear, and some great illustrations. Not a hard read at all, but fun. It's story covers all of New England and New York which has some advantages. One the other side of the coin, not every jot and title is accurate for this corner of New England. Good stuff.

[Jacqui Lafrance]

Can you tell I was homesick when I spied this on the bookshelves in Sydney? Investigative, informative and enjoyable reading. A great addition our collective knowledge of the social and physical history of New England.

[Kat Czar]

This book inspired me to appreciate the surroundings of Fairfield County Connecticut and Upper Westchester New York areas - where I was raised. This book has served as a great reference for my walks in the woods and rides in the country there.

[Jnnfrgraves]

Susan's family knows mine from Bedford and mentioned this book at a party. It's actually good!

[John]

For anyone interested in New England history and culture. Very readable. Wonderful illustrations.

[Dianne Oliver]

Areas of good interest, especially in the second half.

[Gail Kennon]

informative fun read.