Active Granite Quarries In Maine

Rely on millennium granite for a lasting compliment to your landscape and facilities.

Active granite quarries in maine.

Maine s quarries had their heyday in the late 18th and early 19th centuries marvinney said. Oliver and three co workers are the last of maine s granite quarriers and crotch island is the only active remnant of what once was a dominant industry and colorful part of the state s past. One of the advantages for maine quarries was their proximity to the coast which made transportation easier. Mining and quarrying in maine virtual tour.

Prior to the opening of commercial quarries granite was used primarily for building foundations road bridge and pier construction. However the development of portland cement as a building material in the early 1900 s and the depression of the 1930 s dealt maine s granite industry a blow from which it would never recover. The dunbar quarry opened in 1901. Millennium granite quarry stoneworks mgq is located at 50 quarry road in wells maine just 8 minutes from i 95 maine state exit 19.

The operator was dunbar bros. Transport of the granite was by cart 1 miles to the wharf. In the 1960s the last working granite quarry flat ledge better known as hocking granite quarry near clark island village closed forever and filled with water. Granite mined in hallowell prized for its softness that allowed easier carving built the gettysburg monument.

Granite from the quarry was reportedly a medium gray color with a coarse to medium texture. Metallic mineral deposits of maine map known occurrences of metallic minerals shown on a generalized geologic map of maine. Witness the maine granite industry which reached its high point in 1901 with 152 quarries employing at least 3 500 men. Our virtual tour is a series of photos which portray some of the history and types of maine mining and quarrying.

Granite from the north jay maine quarry was the white granite of new england haynes said and used to build general grant s tomb the hahnemann monument in washington d c and closer to home a cathedral in lewiston. The quarrying of granite in maine has been a commercial undertaking since the early 1800 s. I remember our family visiting that quarry staring down at the workers way below cutting stone. When the quarry was measured in 1905 it was 250 by 100 feet and had a depth from 4 to 8 feet.

Maine s granite is also unique because of its pink color for which landscape architects are seeing increasing demand. Our quarry has been mined for centuries and greatly contributes to our region s character.