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Just realized something about the old stone wall behind my house
I was clearing brush in the backyard in Concord and noticed the stones are cut differently than the ones from the 1800s farmhouse foundation. One section has drill marks from a plug and feather method, which was mostly used before 1850 around here. Has anyone else found a much older feature right on their own property?
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spencerw722mo ago
Check your county's historical society records online.
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the_spencer2mo ago
Used to figure everything out through old books. Then I found my great-grandfather's property deed from 1902 on our county site. Changed how I look for family stuff completely.
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1960s stonework used different drill patterns, so those plug and feather marks are a solid clue. That said, @spencerw72 has a point about checking county records, but I'd add that deeds and old maps can be tricky if they weren't surveyed right. Your mileage may vary on how reliable those sources are for dating stones specifically.
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