Project Gallery

Click photos for a larger view and description.
Black House, Isle of Harris, Scotland: Michael's first full-time experience of dry stone work came in 1993 when he was hired by Master Craftsman Neil Rippingale to assist with the construction of a dry stone house on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides off the West Coast of Scotland. Commissioned by a native of Harris and her civil engineer husband, the thatched cottage is a modern version of the drystone black houses of the past, built to conform with current building code. This project received the first-ever Pinnacle Award given by the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain. The house is available as holiday accommodation.
A replacement of the entrance to a historic building used for community gatherings. Hand-rails by Rich Gillis.
Amphitheater Wall, Opus 40, Saugerties, NY: Rebuilt section of tall wall at Opus 40, a land art installation by Harvey Fite. Part of a multi-year ongoing collaborative restoration project involving over a dozen wallers.
Entrance Steps with Flower Beds, Brattleboro, Vt: A beautiful solution for the entrance to a bank house. The stone stairway replaces a very steep unsafe wooden stairway.
Long Retaining Wall, Westmoreland, NH: This retaining wall at The Maples of Poocham is a replacement of a collapsed 19th century wall. Stone from the original wall was incorporated into the new build.
Garden Terrace Wall, Guilford, VT: This rustic retaining wall built over 20 years ago shows how plants and weathering work together to naturalize a wall.
Round pillar with coped top, Brattleboro, Vermont
Wheelchair-accessible Patio, Brattleboro, VT: This patio was built using large slabs of mica schist. The design allows for a smooth transition from the house to the outdoors.
Wall on Sloping Ground, Brattleboro, VT: Built on a 30 degree slope, this wall has a stepped foundation and stands 5 feet tall.
State Forest Road Bridge Repair, Townshend, VT: The side spandrel walls were repaired, the pedestrian roadway was regraded and curbing was added.
Stone Waterway, Guilford, VT: Curved stones were used to line a metal channel into which a stream had been forced. The edges were built up as rough walls to hide the remaining metal.
Old Temple Road Bridge, Lyndeborough, NH: The bridge was built in the 19th century. Michael was hired to assess the bridge.
Winding Sloped Path with Steps, Guilford, VT: These steps solved access challenges for a home with a very steeply sloped landscape. They lead from the main house to a summer cabin.
Sheep Pen Wall with Lunky Hole, Brattleboro, VT: This wall incorporates special features including a lunky hole for livestock, a sloping curved section, step stiles, right angled corner, and cheek end.
Rustic Stairway, Guilford, VT: These steps lead from a stone terrace to a pond below the house.
Steps Through Ramparts, Marlboro, VT: This project is a creative solution to a steep bank with gathering space on top.
Michael Examining the Fair Brook Bridge, Townshend, VT: This bridge is one of six surviving bridges built by James Otis Follett in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Michael was hired to carry out condition assessments of the bridges. He has carried out repairs on the spandrel walls of two; a third bridge is scheduled to be worked on in 2024.
Rebuild of Stone Song, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Katonah, NY: Stone Song is a unique sound sculpture conceived by sound artist Ranjit Bhatnagar. Originally built by Akira Inman and others, Michael has been hired to rebuild it twice - once when it had to be relocated and a second time when the electronic components had to be replaced.
Splitting a large stone using feathers and wedges to make sill stones for a house foundation.
Galloway Dyke, Edinburgh, Scotland: Built with Neil Rippingale at the Royal Highland Agricultural Society showground. Galloway Dyke is a style indigenous to the Dumfries and Galloway region in Southwest Scotland.
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Thistle Stone Works

Brattleboro, VT

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