INTRODUCTION History is abundant in the Tamposi Woods, especially relating to the stone walls that weave through it's interior and surround it's borders. Most of the stone walls in the area were built in the 18th century and 19th century for agricultural purposes, disposal of rocks, control of the property, and for expression. The farms that they enclosed were later abandoned for logging practices, and consequently so, were the stone walls that once had marked this agricultural era in New Hampshire The Granite Kiss, Kevin Gardner) Although, they may appear forgotten or worthless, the walls continue to have ecological, resourceful, and aesthetic functions as noted by stone wall historian Robert Thorson. They will forever tell a story of the past. Stonewalls provide us with a story or glimpse into the past history of the Tamposi Woods area. We decided to mark off a quadrant in the Tamposi Woods and begin to map the rich historic walls in that specific area. We used a number of different approaches to determine The Form and Function of the Stone Walls, Past and Present in our marked quadrant.

METHODS We used two different techniques to measure our quadrant of land in the Tamposi Woods. We began on the south side of the woods where Tibbetts Road takes a sharp right turn (refer to map at the bottom of page). We set up a 300meters X 200 meters plot of land to examine. We used a compass and measuring tape to mark and label each side of the quadrant. Each side of the plot was marked off with a red flag in 50 meter intervals. All four quadrants were plotted on a GPS instrument to provide us with the image below. The stone wall on leg one of the quadrant is also on the map. The form and function of the stone wall were observed at the 50 and 100 meter markers on each side. Observations of the stone walls included, but are not limited to, line, texture, shape, color, pattern, height, negative space, gaps, animal habitat, and nearby vegetation.

CONCLUSIONS Below is the final map of our quadrant at the Tamposi Woods. We believe that the purpose of the stone walls in most of our quadrant was to enclose a pastureland. The property that abuts the Tamposi Woods in our quadrant on the East side has two small rock foundations that could have been a school or homestead. We believe this land may have been originally cultivated or just a place of residence. Functions of the stone wall today include property boundaries, animal habitat, folklore, and a possible means for a resource for the land. For more specific results, please click on the preferred link to the left.