A rock wall stands on a forest floor in New England. This wall was built when the United States was a young nation, by human hands. Between its origin (circa 1800) and now, there have been shifts in this scene – some marked, some less apparent. On both sides of the wall, a second-growth forest stands, having replaced virgin woods, removed in all likelihood well before the fence was put in place. On the boulders comprising the fence, lichen colonies have formed, a phenomenon requiring decades without disturbance. This structure likely used to mark the edge of a farm.
