Some old stone walls in New Hampshire are disappearing.
Officials believe the walls are disappearing to fuel future landscaping projects.
The deputy state historian and preservation officer for the state Division of Historical Resources Linda Wilson says the weathered stones that make up the walls are treasured by landscapers in other regions and are often scooped up or purchased from landowners.
Walls on private property are not protected by the state; walls on property boundaries can be removed only if lot owners on both sides of the wall are in agreement.
The majority of New England’s stone walls were built in the 18th and 19th centuries as boundaries between farms. In 1939, it was estimated that there were 250,000 miles of stonewalls crisscrossing the region. Today, slightly more than half of those walls remain.