About the Dry Stone Conservancy’s
Referral List of Certified Drystone Masons
The mission of the Dry Stone Conservancy is to preserve existing dry stone structures and to revive and promote the ancient craft of dry stone masonry. The Referral List is provided to assist contractors, agencies and the general public in locating qualified dry stone masons for their projects, and to thereby reinstate public confidence in the use of drystone masonry, the ancient technology of building in stone without mortar.
The certification process includes examinations at three levels of certification: Qualified Drystone Mason, Journeyman Drystone Mason and Master Drystone Craftsman (refer to the following pages for detailed requirements). All certification exams include building a specified length of freestanding rock fence within 8 hours in the presence of the examiner(s) as well as additional un-timed special features and written/oral sections that assesses the candidates’ knowledge of structural theories. Qualified examiners judge all certification requirements according to internationally accepted standards in drystone construction.
We encourage you to contact the certified dry stone masons included below for your project, keeping in mind that many are quite willing to travel and will team up with other masons for larger projects. Please note, however, the masons are independent craftsmen, contractors and business owners; they are not employees of the Dry Stone Conservancy. Before hiring any contractor, clients are advised to check their previous work experience, contact their references and inquire about their insurance coverage.
The Referral List of Certified Dry Stone Masons is regularly updated as additional masons are certified and as their contact information changes. For the most recent version, please contact the office.
A Note About Conservancy Project Partnerships
A major goal of the Dry Stone Conservancy is to provide immediate as well as long-term options for the conservation of our nation’s incredible rock fences, stone walls and drystone heritage. One of the means by which this is accomplished is through our on-the-job skills training and certification program. For large and complicated projects, you may also be interested in talking with the Conservancy about the possibility of a training project partnership.
The Conservancy regularly undertakes restoration projects for governmental agencies and publically-owned historic sites as well as private owners for projects that fit our training program objectives. These project partnerships are an important means by which aspiring masons involved in the Conservancy’s certification process are able to gain the work site experience they need while still under the direct supervision of the Conservancy’s Training Program Manager and other certified masons.
The Conservancy’s consultation and construction management services include condition assessment, scope-of-work, project design, specifications and cost estimates as well as project administration and construction. We provide all the required insurance coverage as well as the assurance of high-quality workmanship. To discuss your options for a Conservancy training project partnership, please contact our Restoration Program Manager at the Conservancy office.