Dry stone wall in Bobcaygeon needs business, community support

The 122-metre (400-foot) stretch of dry stone wall near Case Manor on Canal Street in Bobcaygeon is one of only two in Kawartha Lakes.

Known as the Edgewood dry stack wall, it is now in serious need of repair. Volunteers from Environmental Action Bobcaygeon are determined to rescue it, according to a media release. The wall was built in 1890 through 1891 and will undergo a full restoration for its 130th milestone birthday this year.

The “rare and excellent example,” as the volunteers describe, of nineteenth-century dry stack stone wall construction was something early Ontario settlers built. The Boyd family paid farmers $1 for each wagon load of stones brought to the site.

Building a dry stone wall requires a high degree of technical achievement; the technique has been recognized by UNESCO for its picturesque appeal and cultural significance.

With repair costs estimated at $70,000, the Bobcaygeon group has joined with the Community Foundation of Kawartha Lakes to create the Edgewood Stone Wall Fund to facilitate community donations.

For more information on the campaign and how to help, visit www.EdgewoodStoneWall.com