Norman Muller wrote in his essay, A Possible Water Serpent Effigy at Site R7-2, Rochester, Vermont:
“The quality of workmanship, which if one thinks about it, raises the awkward question of who built all these structures, and when."
Why isn’t historical information, other than assumptions about “deranged farmers,” integrated in the study of Site R7-2? Doesn’t it make for an awkward argument not to?
There were several stonemasons of exceptional quality on West Hill in the 1800s. Check out this picture of Dura Kinsman's cellar hole, on Kinsman Road.
This includes not only ignoring oral and written histories, but photographic evidence that could help understand the rock piles found on both the Chester Smith place and Cold Spring Farm. Isn't the context of the buildings adjacent to the stone structures, as well as whatever buildings are (or were) there important in evaluating them?
There were several stonemasons of exceptional quality on West Hill in the 1800s. Check out this picture of Dura Kinsman's cellar hole, on Kinsman Road.
What scant historical "evidence" that is included is, I believe, inaccurate. For instance, Chester Smith did not have 35 acres of land cleared as reported elsewhere by Mueller. By 1850 he had 75 acres (Agricultural Census of 1850). To this he added “160 acres of improved land, tilled, 150 acres of meadows and orchards,” and “400 acres of woodland” (Agricultural Census 1880).
Malcolm Kinsman and Royal Swan owned the house in the 1800s to early 1900s. Both were stonemasons of exceptional quality, as evidenced by the work they did that we know of. Mentioning history only in passing, or with the "deranged farmer theory," is insulting to these men, who still have living ancestors in the valley.
Royal Swan's grand daughter, Doris Marsh, wrote the Randolph Herald on December 13, 1971 about the “Sheep Underpass”:
“It was not made for sheep but rather for cattle & horses to pass from one pasture to the other. It was build around 1888. At that time it was practically all open ground.”
What else did these men build that we know? Malcolm built the retaining wall for the West Hill Cemetery, that, like that barn he built on West Hill, utilizes building into the side of a hill, where one walks in on "ground level," but the other side (end) is a steep drop.
Watershed was a prime reason men like Malcolm and Royal Swan diverted it with underground culverts built of stone. This is not only evidenced on Cold Spring Farm, where one could not bring the hay wagon up to the 3rd floor of the barn without building a culvert across the top. I was told fifty years ago that was why the culvert was there.
Numerous culverts on West Hill and Bingo use flat stones as well, as does the Forest Dale Iron Works.
No comments:
Post a Comment