By Suzanne Laurent
slaurent@derrynews.com
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LONDONDERRY — Londonderry Grange No. 44 is hosting Kevin Gardner, the author of "The Granite Kiss," who will give a talk on stone walls and the importance of them to this part of the country.
The talk, "Discovering New England Stone Walls," is a fundraiser for the Grange, said Grange Master Hank Peterson.
The informal talk will explain how and why New England came to acquire its thousands of miles of stone walls, the ways in which they and other dry stone structures were built, how their styles emerged and changed over time, and their significance in the New England landscape.
"Developers don't know how important these walls are," Peterson said. "When the Elliot came on Buttrick Road, the builders removed a stone wall and had to replace it with Vermont stone."
A law enacted in 1983 makes it a misdemeanor to deface, alter or remove a stone wall that was made for the purpose of designating boundaries or roadways. The law goes on to say the wall can be only moved without penalty if all landowners whose property lines are affected by the stone wall agree, or if the wall needs to be moved to more accurately place the boundary.
In July, the historic Grange was in the running for a $50,000 grant from Pepsi's Project Refresh in an online voting contest. But, not enough votes came in to win.
The hall was built in 1909 and was placed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places in 2004. Londonderry Grange No. 44 was organized on Jan. 18, 1875, with 24 charter members. Granges were popular with farmers and their families because of the distance between farms and the lack of time to socialize. The Grange gave farmers a place to gather to exchange ideas.
The presentation will be on Sept. 30 at 7 p.m.; tickets are $5. There will be a question-and-answer period following the talk. For more information, contact Karen at grange@comcast.net.
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