Preserving the craft of dry stone walling

Jeff Fairfield may have gone the roundabout route to discover his true passion for dry stone masonry, but it was worth the trip.

"I majored in engineering in college and ended up with a degree in physiology," recalled Fairfield. "During college I had a job landscaping for an architect. Then in 2004, I began working for my brother Brian doing dry stone walling. It's not just masonry work; there is so much technique and craftsmanship to building with stone. I found the determination to succeed in the stone construction business because I realized how much I enjoyed being outdoors and working with stone."

In 2006, Fairfield had the opportunity to travel to England and apprentice under a master dry stone waller.

"I spent a month apprenticing under a master craftsman in the Cotswold District of England, through the Dry Stone Walling Association (DSWA) of Great Britain. Dry stone walling is an ancient craft using only stone, with no mortar, to build walls. It has been around since the early dawn of civilization. Stone masons have evolved some great skills that are still in use today."

Dry stone walls have certainly withstood the test of time. They have been built in Britain since before the arrival of the Romans. From the ancient structures of Europe to the classic stone walls of New England, the artistry and skill of dry stone masonry inspire and fascinate many people today. The timeless proud traditions have been passed down from generation to generation. Now a new breed of dry stone craftsmen continues to preserve the timeless and aesthetic craftsmanship of dry stone masonry.

"One of the best things about dry stone walls is that they're usually built from local stones taken from the property that you're working on, or in neighboring areas," says Fairfield. "Using local stones is cost-efficient, better for the environment and keeps to the tradition."

Fairfield and his wife, Samantha, moved out west to Central Oregon from Maine in early 2007. Nowadays, Fairfield is wearing two hats, managing the SGF Sporthorse ranch that he and his wife founded in 2012, and continuing to evolve with his dry stone wall masonry business, JAF Stonework.

Fairfield met Alan Ash, a certified dry stone waller and instructor through the online site for the DSWA registry.

Ash has been passionately devoted to building dry stone walls and features for over 30 years.

"I met him when I first moved out here and attended one of his dry stone walling workshops in Eugene. We've kept in touch for six years, and now I am hosting a workshop for him at SGF Sporthorse."

Fairfield currently holds a Level 1 Certification with the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, and is also an active member of the North American Members Group of the DSWA. He continues to educate himself on the encompassing benefits of dry stone walling through workshops, festivals and seminars.

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