North Carolina's very own Stonehenge, a mysterious stone spiral near Chapel Hill

Most people have heard of Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument of giant stones in England that have inspired wonder for generations. However, many people have no idea that North Carolina has its very own version of Stonehenge, a mysterious spiral of giant stones and stone slabs with symbols and poems inscribed on them.

This cryptic stone spiral sits in the middle of a grassy green field, surrounded by brightly-colored flowering trees. It's a quiet refuge in nature, a place for laying on sun-warmed stones and contemplating the beauty and peace that surrounds it. Its name is Stone Knoll.

The spiral circles a central boulder, which holds a bronze plaque inscribed with the footprints of eagle, coyote, bear and buffaloes.

Beneath each animal print is a quote. "Filled with the vision of knowing our true course, we soar" is inscribed beneath the eagle talons.

From this central vortex, dozens of smaller stones spiral outwards, increasing in size as they go until the stones become bed-sized boulders.

Each cardinal direction--North, South, East, West--is guarded by a monolithic stone slab, smooth-surfaced and over 12-feet tall. Each slab has engraved words from poems by thought-leaders like Maya Angelou and Rumi.

It's clear the designer meant this to be a place of contemplation and peace. In fact, the origins of Stone Knoll are as inspiring as the sight of the spiral itself.

John Hartley, the licensed architect and contractor who created Stone Knoll, among several other similar wonders, passed away in 2011. However, his wife Lynne Jaffe, was willing to share her husband's story.

"His career was making homes," said Jaffe. "He paid for his installations out of whatever money he made out of the development." She attributes his generosity to his spiritual need to help humans feel more connected.

His construction company was a staple on Weaver Street for more than 16 years, according to his obituary. In all of the places he was hired to build, he set aside locations to honor the sacred.

She said that during his youth he spent time in the Peace Corps in Africa, becoming very influenced by African architecture and African spirituality. He was also very passionate about Native American spirituality. "He maintained a library of works written by Native American and indigenous peoples," she said. Frank Lloyd Wright was also a big influence on him.

Hartley's architecture--including, to some degree, the homes he created--had "the spirit of the earth" in them according to Jaffe. All of his work was "full of intention," nothing is an accident.

The first sacred space he created was Heartwood.

"He built Heartwood on a piece of land friend of his had, near the Waldorf School. He restored the pond and created a whole outdoor amphitheater. His architecture highlighted wisdom quotes from Chief Seattle," said Jaffe.

That was his first foray in trying to introduce spiritual wisdom into a landscape--back in the 80s.

Since then, his magical and mysterious havens for communion have dotted the area around Chapel Hill, which are on private property, so please be respectful:

The Labyrinth at Starfield, equally mysterious and tucked away, has an inner circle in a large field. He created an earth mound for people to lay on and look at the stars. A Shinto Gate leads into the labyrinth.

"There's a small stone circle down by New Hope Creek near Ox Bow Crossing--a circle out of some stones and trees," said Jaffe. "He wanted to honor the sacred in all his spaces."

Hartley's beliefs and heart are clearly built into every inch of the Stone Knoll. "Read each poem, let it sink in, and then meditate. John knew each poem by heart," said Jaffe.

The spiral shape is intended to represent the universal symbol of life and eternity.

The pillar stones are built precisely on compass in the cardinal directions. A poem is mounted on each pillar that reflects the symbolism of the direction.

"East is where the sun rises. It's where the day begins. It's the season of birth and spring," said Jaffe. "This is why he chose The Pulse of the Morning poem."

"South is the direction of summer, of high noon, of childhood. It's the place of trust and innocence, where we look at life up-close. It's a time of playfulness.”

In fact, many children and children-at-heart can be seen wandering the mystic playground, laying on the warm stones and playing in the grass.

"West is the season of autumn and sunset, when the light starts to leave. It's entrance into adulthood. It's the dream time, when we start to go inward," she said. The footprints of the bear can be found on this pillar, symbolic of hiding away in hibernation. "We go into the cave of the dream-time to meet our emotions of grief, sorrow, anger and despair. The Wendell Berry poem there was chosen as a reflection on meeting our fear and sitting with it until it leaves us."

"North is midnight. The season of winter and cold," said Jaffe. "It's a place of elderhood and of honoring our ancestors and our community, and to reflect and give wise counsel."

"When then travel around to the beginning of the wheel to begin anew," said Jaffe.

The new Spring always returns.

"He left an incredible legacy," said Jaffe. "My work has always been invisible -- massage and yoga. John left sacred spaces that will live through time as places of mystery and teaching."

Not only did Hartley pay to create these spaces from his own pocket, he also went through tremendous effort to create them. He drove to Tennessee to select the stone from a bone pile, where quarried stones that won't be used are deposited. Then he drove the enormous stones home on a flatbed truck.

"He handpicked every single stone in that circle," said Jaffe.

Some artists create paintings or books or memorable poems. Hartley crafted works of art into the very landscape of North Carolina--in quiet, private places only a few would ever see.

It would be easy to spend hours poring over the poems and strange symbols etched on the stones and tiles to decipher every message Hartley intended. But the sun warmed stones simply beg you to jump on them, to climb and play like a child, to romp through the grassy spiral, and to lay back on a smooth giant boulder and just meditate.

Perhaps this is the real message.