Provided is a system and method for building retaining and freestanding stone walls, wherein wall panels are made, then transported to an installation location, and installed on site quickly and efficiently. The wall panels are made in wall frames that use joint forms to provided wall panels having sides that reliably and securely mater together. The joint forms include “zig-zag” like connections and a structural interlocking key, engineered to prevent vertical and lateral deformation of the assembled wall. Drainage and strengthening materials are built into the wall panels while in the wall frames. A lifting apparatus is also provided that engages a wall panel through openings formed in a rear side, and stably lifts and flips the wall panel from a facedown orientation to an upright orientation.
