David James "Stoney" Mason (April 28, 1931 – March 26, 2020) was a master stone-wall

mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

from

Starksboro, Vermont Starksboro is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,756 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Geography Starksboro is located in the northeast corner of Addison County, along the western edge of the Green ...

. He was born in the village of Starksboro and lived his whole life there. His

dry stone Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their construction m ...

stacking technique has been rarely used in the last two centuries. Dry stone stacking means placing each stone in direct contact with another without the use of mortar or any other adhesive agent. He has been given several awards, been covered by

Vermont Life ''Vermont Life'' was a quarterly regional magazine focusing on the Vermont lifestyle. It was published by the State of Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the state ...

Magazine and other publications and had the honor of constructing a stone wall on the Washington, D.C. Mall as part of the 2001 Folklife Festival. David lived in the village of Starksboro with his wife Bette. David's son Rick is also a stone-wall mason. David died on March 26, 2020. Bette died on February 18, 2021. "Stoney" as he was referred to by those who knew (of) him was known in his later years for always loving to sit outside on the front lawn of his Starksboro home and watch the school buses leave Robinson Elementary School.
/ref> He constructed several stone walls around Starksboro itself, including two at Robinson Elementary, one of which notably had a chair built into it.

References

October issue of Vermont Life (not listed online anymore)
Non-PDF version of link 3
1931 births 2020 deaths People from Starksboro, Vermont American stonemasons {{US-bio-stub