Massachusetts Stone Foundation Restoration & Waterproofing
Protect Your Home with Stone Foundation Waterproofing's Waterproofing Services
Stone foundation Restoration, preservation and waterproofing by Thompson crowley Masonry Inc.
We have generations of experience restoring local foundations with professional European masonry skills and traditions practiced on the North Shore for over sixty years.
Stone foundations are a hallmark of historic buildings in Massachusetts and reflect the region’s geology, settlement patterns, and construction traditions.
Below is a concise, well-structured overview of their development:
1. Indigenous and Early Colonial Period (1600s)
Native peoples in New England built primarily with wood and earth, but early European settlers (starting in the 1620s) brought stone-building traditions from England.
Fieldstone was abundant in Massachusetts due to glacial activity that left “glacial till” scattered across the landscape.
Early colonists used dry-laid fieldstone (no mortar) for cellar walls, boundary walls, and root cellars.
These early foundations were often irregular and loosely stacked, suitable for small timber-framed houses.
2. 18th Century: Refinement and Widespread Use
By the early 1700s, stone foundations became standard for most houses and barns.
Builders relied on stones cleared from newly farmed land.
Dry-laid techniques continued, but use of lime mortar began to increase.
Houses often had full or partial basements, so a durable stone foundation became essential.
Stone foundations helped manage moisture, stabilizing wooden sills above.
3. 19th Century: Improved Masonry and Industrial Influence
The 1800s brought significant changes:
Early–mid 1800s
Lime-mortar walls became common and better engineered.
Foundations for larger buildings (mills, town halls, churches) used cut granite blocks—Massachusetts had major granite quarries in Quincy, Chelmsford, and Rockport.
Granite became a regional export thanks to improvements in transportation (e.g., the Granite Railway, 1826).
Late 1800s
Residential foundations increasingly used rubble stone with mortar, often in a mix of fieldstone and quarried stone.
Foundations became taller and more uniform as basements were used for utilities (furnaces, cisterns, root storage).
4. Early 20th Century: Transition to Concrete
By the early 1900s:
Concrete block (c. 1900 onward) and poured concrete (1910s+) began replacing stone.
Stone foundations continued in rural construction through the 1930s, but in most urban areas the decline was rapid.
Many houses built between 1890 and 1920 have hybrid foundations: a stone foundation below grade and concrete or brick above grade.
5. Regional Characteristics in Massachusetts
Why stone was so common
The state’s thin topsoil and glacial deposits meant stones were plentiful and often a nuisance to farmers—so they became building material.
Local variation:
Eastern MA: granite and mixed fieldstone; many cut-block granite foundations.
Central & Western MA: rounded glacial fieldstones and schist; more dry-laid tradition persisted.
Associated structures
Stone foundations are closely linked with stone walls, which Massachusetts has in extraordinary abundance (over 60,000 miles historically).
6. Modern Conservation Issues
Historic stone foundations in Massachusetts often face:
Mortar deterioration (especially lime → Portland mismatches).
Bulging from water pressure or frost heave.
Capillary moisture problems without drainage.
Repairs typically involve repointing with compatible lime mortar and sometimes interior drainage updates.
Free Estimates 617-633-1896
Free Estimates 617-633-1896 thompsonandcrowley@gmail.com
Massachusetts Stone Foundation In Need Of Repairs
Massachusetts Stone Foundation In Need Of Repairs
Massachusetts Stone Foundation In Need Of Repairs
Contact us today for professional foundation masonry restoration and waterproofing services. Serving Massachusetts since 1965. Owner operated with zero subcontractors.
Stone Foundation Repairs With Waterproof Coating
Massachusetts Stone Foundation In Need Of Repairs
Massachusetts Stone Foundation In Need Of Repairs
Breathable foundation sealant with period correct lime based mortars and modern waterproofing advancements for lasting stone foundation waterproofing.