S TONE W ALLS As a result of its geology and history, Oak Spring contains over two miles of stone walls with a construction period spanning settlement to recent times. Original field stone, exposed during the landscape’s transition to agriculture, lie stacked in the same lines as when they were laid. Other walls existed 100 years ago but have been repurposed to other areas. The Mellon period left its mark with tightly fit, sharp walls along the road and gateways. In general, Virginia lacks a strong tradition of stone fencing when compared to regions north of the glacial boundary. Nonetheless, three eastern regions are recognized for concentrations of stone walls: New York State and New England; Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region; and Virginia’s northern Piedmont and Blue Ridge (Lewes and Houston 2004).
Background Stone walls are most often built as fences to keep animals in, or out, of something. As a fence, a wall needs to be 4 feet tall, and may be composed entirely of stone, or as a shorter wall with a wood or wire rail on top. A lawful fence in Virginia in 1872 had to be four feet high (Lewes and Houston 2004). The lack of glacier-deposited stone, and an abundance of trees, meant most fencing was made of wood. The split rail, zigzag, or “worm fence” was the standard fence in Virginia for generations. This was followed later by the post and rail fence – popular until late 1800s. In 1871, 85 percent of fences in Virginia were wood (Lewes and Houston 2004). Although stone was absent from the coastal plain (as a result of geology) it was available from the Piedmont, westward.
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