The University Press of Kentucky 
1992

"This beautifully illustrated book - the first full-length study of any American fence type - traces the origins of Kentucky fences back to Irish and Scottish examples and explains why Kentucky farmers preferred rock to widely used hardwood rails in the first place." -The Washington Post

"The rock-fenced landscape of the inner Bluegrass has persistent power to shape the regional image. It arouses local loyalties and preservationists far and near; it stirs outsiders to dumbfounded admiration. In this well-illustrated book, the authors plumb the depths of Kentucky's distinctive Bluegrass landscape and arrive at a revised view of its origins." - Lexington Herald-Leader

Gray rock fences built of ancient limestone are hallmarks of Kentucky's Bluegrass landscape. Why did Kentucky farmers turn to rock as fence-building material when most had earlier used hardwoodrails? Who were the masons responsible for Kentucky's lovely rock fences and what are the different rock forms used in this region? 

In this generously illustrated book, Carolyn Murray- Wooley and Karl Raitz address those questions and explore the background of Kentucky's rock fences, the talent and skill of the stone masons, and the Irish and Scottish models they followed in their work. They also correct inaccurate popular perceptions about the fences and use census and archival documents to identify the fence masons and where they worked. 

This is the first book-length study on any American fence type. Filled with detailed fence descriptioins, an extensive list of masons' names, drawings, photographs, and a helpful glossary, it will appeal to folklorists, historians, geographers, architects, landscape architects, and masons, as well as general readers intrigued by Kentucky's rock fences.