I went on to graduate from University of Rhode Island and became an English teacher. I worked in various positions around the state and eventually in Seattle. I returned to the east coast from Seattle with a strong interest in farm management and took an internship in upstate New York. While there, I met a stone wall builder who needed help building walls on an enormous estate. I figured I’d help him on weekends while I was working on the farm. Before long, I was completely hooked. I read every book I could, talked to any stone wall builders I could find, and drove all over New England looking at and learning about stone walls. My passion for dry laid stone walls would never leave me. After returning to Rhode Island, I got hired to manage Beaverhead Farm in Jamestown. When I told the owners about my interest in rebuilding the historic walls on their farm, they were elated. I worked on walls whenever I could. The farm was sold soon after this, and I started working with a stone mason who did all kinds of stonework. Besides stone walls, I was soon building patios, walkways, stairs and fireplaces. In 2009 I started my first business, Conanicut Stoneworks. I took on various projects for landscape designers, home owners, and historical organizations but my favorite projects were always the traditional dry-laid New England style stone walls. I’ve now established Rhode Island Stone Walls to reflect my passion for the elements of stone masonry that I enjoy the most: restoration and construction of authentic dry-laid New England style stone walls.
