Kinstone Circle rests gently upon a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. The largest megalithic stone circle in North America, a walking labyrinth, rolling hills, a tepee, a yurt, a reflecting pond, permaculture plantings and three cordwood buildings accent the landscape. 
The cordwood chapel is a hexagonal structure with 12′ walls and 16″ cedar infill. It has 450 bottle bricks embedded in the walls, creating a homage to the natural world. 
Below is Brother Sun and the flora and fauna of the grassy plains. 
Many workshops were held at Kinstone and hundreds of participants placed logs, stones and bottles into the walls. 
Above: The snowball test is how to determine if the mortar is ready. Below: The sturdy stone foundation is gneiss (nice) stone from central Wisconsin. 
The Mississippi River runs through the building (symbolically). 
There is also a cordwood sauna on site that doubles as a guest cottage.
It was also a labor of love with many workshop participants. 
The interior feels warm and comforting. 
The Dragon’s Den, an entrance center with a living roof, awaits eager visitors. 
There are many dragons embedded in the walls. 
A rich kaleidoscope of colors greets the welcomed guest. 
Mandalas are an integral part of the buildings. Mandalas balance the visual elements, symbolizing unity and harmony.
There are other notable structures at Kinstone. The Straw Clay cottage (below) is one more example of natural building. 
The Three Witnesses is a limestone structure built by renown dry stone stack artist Thea Alvin.
Kinstone is filled with good energy and good vibrations. If you are in the Winona, Minnesota area (this is right across the Mississippi River in Fountain City, Wisconsin) it is worth a visit. There is a self-guided map at the Entrance Center to make sure you know where to go. https://www.kinstonecircle.com
Should you wish to learn how to build a cordwood cottage, cabin or home, please visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org While you are there, click on the pictures, read the brief articles, check out the latest workshops and newsletter and if you are interested click on the ONLINE BOOKSTORE to see all the cordwood literature available in print and ebook format.
If you have questions that aren’t answered on the website you can email me at richardflatau@gmail.com
Readers have requested a brief bio, so here goes:
Richard & Becky Flatau built their mortgage-free cordwood home in 1979 in Merrill, Wisconsin. Since then, they have written books, conducted workshops, facilitated the 2005, 2011 and 2015 Cordwood Conferences and provided consultation for thousands of cordwood builders. Cordwood Construction: Best Practices DVD, Cordwood Construction Best Practices (print) and Cordwood Conference Papers 2015 are the newest publications available from their online cordwood bookstore. www.cordwoodconstruction.org
Here is a picture of the Cordwood Workshop Video cover, featuring the Cordwood Education Center.
For more information on Cordwood Construction, click on the picture or visit www.cordwoodconstruction.org Below is the 30 item Video menu.
