Where to learn to build with stone

I'm moving to a piece of land with a lot of stones. I'd like to learn how to make use of them as a building material, but have no idea what I'm doing and don't want it all to fall apart the first time there's a bad windstorm. Where are some good online places to learn how to build structures with stone so that they're safe and last a long time?

There was a similar thread like this recently if you want to look it up for more responses but I'll repeat mine. I highly suggest watching some videos on Hawaiian/Polynesian rock stacking techniques. As far as dry stacking rocks goes they were pretty much the experts of the world in my opinion.

Hi L,
I found these two books to have some great info on building with stone.

The Art of the Stonemason
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0911469273/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The Owner Builder's Guide to Stone Masonry
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1626545405/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Out at Wheaton Labs as part of the PTJ: Permaculture Technology Jamboree:

students, built this beautifully artistic dry stack Moon Gate at Wheaton Labs. Tim demonstrates the creative method of stacking rocks and stones and filling in the spaces to create functional beauty in the form of a Moon Gate. The hand-made wooden "barrel" was added to support the rock as it was masterfully formed into a Moon, or window, within the gate.

Go to this link to see the Moon Gate with Tim Lanese:

https://permies.com/t/253481/Dry-Stack-Moon-Gate

This might be of interest:

https://permies.com/t/42553/Pep-Dry-Stone-Stacking

Youtube has lots of videos on drystone walling. This is a decent quick introduction, and you can find more in depth.

What is the character of the rock in your area? Mostly flat and rectilinear, rough and jagged, smooth and rounded? This will have a major influence on how you can build.


This book, How to Build Dry-Stacked Stone Walls: Design and Build Walls, Bridges and Follies Without Mortar, looks like it would give a lot of good information you can use in the field without bringing a computer out in the weather.

If you have rounded or irregular stone, this video shows how to work with that situation: Building with Round Stone.

For really round stone like cobbles, or New Hampshire granite boulders, I have seen stones split in half or so to give some toothy edges to form stable walls. Batter needs to be even more than "standard" 1:6 for this sort of material. A wall of all small cobbles might need to be as wide at the base as it is tall with a 1:4 or more extreme batter.

The Stone Trust https://thestonetrust.org/ is a great place to learn to build drystone walls. They have 5 different locations in the US. The Dry Stone Conservancy in Kentucky is also a great resource.