Walls

I have walked and explored the woods behind my house in the Town of Cortlandt, New York for years. I’m intrigued by the dry stone walls that meander and crisscross the woods there. From glacial rubble each stone was placed by human effort, and each stone still holds that story.

They are history, originally placed with balanced resistance, at one time new and of a purpose, mounds made by the Kitchawanc Tribe as early as 4950 BC, barriers made during the Revolutionary War, walls assembled by the slaves of Stephanus Van Cortlandt at the end of the 17th century, and formed stone structures made by the Dutch and English Quaker farmers in the early 18th century. These stone sculptures continue to record time in textured wear. They continue to zig zag, curve, and undulate over the hills.

My photographs capture what I feel when I walk this open space and contemplate the origin of these structure: their existence, their mystery and the fantasy they impart to the woods, and the joyous power and inspiration they impart to me.

This is a unique, geological area. These are artifacts that have stood up to neglect. They merit preservation and hopefully my photographs will inspire more interest in these remnants of lost time.