Event at Kittery Historical & Naval Museum

Kevin Gardner will be the featured speaker at the September 9^th meeting of the Kittery Historical and Naval Society. Entitled “Discovering New England Stone Walls,” Kevin’s informal talk covers a few of the main topics of his book about New England stone walls, The Granite Kiss (Countryman Press), touching on history, technique, stylistic development, and aesthetics. He explains 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 to the famous New England landscape. Other topics may include: differences in approach between historical and contemporary wall-builders, a discussion of restoration tips and techniques, and information about design, acquisition of materials, preservation,, and analysis. There is always a generous question-and-answer period during which listeners are encouraged to bring up specific problems or projects on their own property.

Along the way, Kevin occupies himself building a miniature wall or walls on a tabletop using tiny stones from a five-gallon bucket. He often brings along his collection of books about stonework and copies of The Granite Kiss will be available for sale.

Kevin Gardner is a writer, teacher, tradesman, and a lifelong resident of Hopkinton, New Hampshire. For nearly forty years he has been a stone wall builder in a family business widely known for the traditional New England stonework, particularly for historic restoration of antique structures.

From 1985 to 2010, Kevin was also a performance critic, feature writer, and producer for New Hampshire Public Radio. His pieces on the arts, history, and culture aired on National Public Radio and the Christian Science Monitor Broadcast Network, and he was a two-time winner of the New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters’ Golden Mic Award for feature writing.

Kevin is also a longtime professional actor, director, and teacher of theater. He has taught at the New Hampton School, the N. H. Institute of Art, and St. Paul’s School. He is also a regular Guest Director at Plymouth State University.

The Kittery Historical and Naval Society meeting is held at the Kittery Lion’s Club B building on State Road in Kittery starting at 7 P.M. The public is ALWAYS WELCOME to attend! Admission is free.