Rocks in My Head

“And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything” - William Shakespeare

In the forward, entitled Why Stone, of Margaret Hryniuk and Frank Korvemaker’s book, Legacy of Stone: Saskatchewan's Stone Buildings the why stone question is answered, “one simple reason is that stone is beautiful. Whether it is the dolomite limestone called greystone at the University of Saskatchewan or the granite boulders of the Hudson’s Bay Store in Fort Qu’Appelle, the beauty of fieldstone is undisputed. It is a material from this place and this landscape. It looks good in any of our four distinct seasons and in the clear sunlight that is one of the defining aspects of Saskatchewan.”

Stone may be beautiful but in the Qu’Appelle Valley it is also plentiful! A drive through the countryside or a stroll through one of the many communities in the area yields at least one stone foundation – be it on a barn or a house and in some cases the entire building was constructed with the material.

According to the dictionary, a stonemason is one that prepares and lays stones in a building. There were two main types of assembly for a stone foundation, chimney or building: with mortar, a mixture of lime or cement, sand and water used for bonding bricks and stones; and dry masonry, a system for stacking brick and stone without a bonding agent. Most of the local examples of stone buildings utilize mortar – the foundation of the Wong barn, the H. Miller Homestead, the Ron Kidd farm and the J.T. Lauder Homestead in the RM of Lumsden; as well as the many examples in Lumsden, including St. Andrew’s United Church, pictured above.

There were pros and cons to building with stone at the turn of the century. The material was readily available but the construction process was more time consuming than building with wood. Not only was stone fireproof, but as was the case with the pressed metal ceilings discussed last week, it was also chosen due to its durability. Stone buildings were easier to maintain than wooden buildings, but when a repair is needed, it can be a difficult and expensive fix.

Water is most often the cause of damage to buildings assembled with masonry. Rain or melting snow, can usually be traced to roof leaks, malfunctioning gutters and rainwater downspouts. Uncontrolled water infiltration results in deterioration of the mortar, the leaching of salts out of the masonry (leaving white deposits on the surface) and increased susceptibility to damage due to freezing and thawing.

With home builders today leaning toward eco-construction and sustainable living, building with stone has become fashionable again in some circles.