gorehound wrote:

snip

this is where I am leary, would the hammering from the hammerdrill loosen
the surrounding mortar (or what ever they used in 1848)?

Thanks for the replies.
Shane

Highly likely unless the stone is huge and the hammer drill is puny.
I've had mortar give up on 30 year old blocks trying to get a small
hole for a gas line. A regular drill with a diamond bit (think Harbor
freight) and an epoxied wood plug would be my choice. Old lime mortar
doesn't have the high strength of today's products. HYH

Joe