Here in historic New England, where echoes of stonemasons from centuries past reverberate in the countless fieldstone walls garnishing the countryside, Edziu Sentkowski fits in like a finely set stone. A proud second-generation stonemason himself, he has spent more than two decades absorbing the age-old skills of his father and other gifted stonemasons, perpetuating this intricate and physically demanding craft that dates back to ancient times.
Sentkowski’s journey in stonemasonry began at the tender age of 15, when he embarked on a 20-year stint at his father’s business, Rock Design Custom Stonework in Derry, New Hampshire. Here, the young man accumulated a treasure trove of knowledge in masonry and stonework. His insatiable need to perfect his craft led him on forays up and down the East Coast to glean varying techniques from other stonemasons as well. “I wanted to round out my skills,” he says.
Other mentors aside, it was his father, Edmund, who was Sentkowski’s greatest influence. When the time came in 2021 for the younger Sentkowski to venture out on his own, he chose an image of his father’s rugged mason’s hands wielding the classic sledgehammer and chisel as the logo for his new business, Northeast Walls and Patios. “I wanted to honor him with this logo,” he says. “He didn’t just pass along his skills and knowledge to me, he instilled a work ethic in me that is second to none. I highly respect him for that.”
The logo’s meaning is more than sentimental. It also represents what Sentkowski proclaims as the stonemason’s most valuable tool: his hands. “You need big, strong hands to do this work,” he insists. While modern times brought power tools and machinery to the mason’s arsenal, old-school craftsmen like the senior Sentkowski prefer to do everything by hand. His son admits they still “butt heads” over the issue, although in an ironic role reversal, father now works for son as his head mason.
Despite the occasional family friction, Sentkowski loves his work. “There’s nothing more satisfying than transforming someone’s outdoor living space and seeing their reaction.” He revels in the longevity and durability of his creations. “It’s gratifying to build a stone wall that will last 100 years or more,” he says. “It’s like putting your stamp on something.”
Sentkowski has a particular affinity for fieldstone—ubiquitous in New England. Washing the years of dirt off these stones reveals the beauty beneath. “In a perfect world,” he says wistfully, “I would use nothing but natural stone.” While he often uses pavers—manufactured pieces of concrete—for walkways and patios, he utilizes natural materials whenever possible. This creative stonemason celebrates rustic beauty as a crucial element of his craft. “The bottom line is that it’s an art,” he says. “You must balance colors, shapes, and sizes. You really need an eye for it.”
Working with pieces of the earth, Sentkowski’s connection to nature runs deep, flowing in him as if through his very veins. “I was always spiritual about Mother Nature,” he says. But this spirituality would unexpectedly metamorphose into something more.
In 2020, Sentkowski found transformation when he married his wife, Stormy, six months to the day after they met. His new bride became his guiding star, leading the lifelong atheist to Christianity, giving his life new meaning. The spirituality he had always found in nature evolved into a deep devotion to his new religion.
His marriage incentivized the already hard-working Sentkowski to push himself even harder to succeed as an entrepreneur. “Getting married was a game changer for me,” he says. “I took being a husband very seriously.” He gives credit to his wife for her stalwart support during the birth pangs of his new enterprise. “We started out with nothing,” he says. The new husband asked Stormy for time to build the business, promising her that the effort he put in would come back tenfold. “She backed me up 100 percent,” he says, gratitude shining in his eyes. “She believed in me.”
Stormy’s belief in her husband paid off; his herculean efforts did indeed come back tenfold. Today, Northeast Walls and Patios, based in South Berwick, Maine and serving York and Rockingham Counties and the New Hampshire Seacoast, is thriving. Edziu Sentkowski is making his father proud, and faithfully carrying on the legacy of one of civilization’s oldest and most venerated crafts.