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Fieldstone is a naturally occurring type of stone, which lies at or near the surface of the Earth. Fieldstone is a nuisance for farmers seeking to expand their land under cultivation, but at some point it began to be used as a construction material.[1][2][3] Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally. Collections of fieldstones which have been removed from arable land or pasture to allow for more effective agriculture are called clearance cairns.
In practice, fieldstone is any architectural stone used in its natural shape and can be applied to stones recovered from the topsoil or subsoil. Although fieldstone is generally used to describe such material when used for exterior walls, it has come to include its use in other ways including garden features and interiors. It is sometimes cut or split for use in architecture.
- ^ Andriote, John M. (13 May 2014). "The history, science and poetry of New England's stone walls". EARTH Magazine. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ Kusmer, Anna (4 May 2018). "New England Is Crisscrossed With Thousands of Miles of Stone Walls". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
- ^ "Purposes Then and Now | Stone Wall Initiative". stonewall.uconn.edu. 19 March 2014. Retrieved 2018-11-10.