Maine is my favorite vacation spot, and beyond its natural beauty, there is a great deal of history. To understand the importance of granite as an historic building stone, the place I recommend is Deer Island, specifically the islands off of Stonington, Maine. Penobscot Bay is where the granite industry thrived from the 1860’s until the closing of the last granite quarry in 1966. However the Crotch Island quarry re-opened in 1979, and the stone is still available. While there were other quarry sites in Maine, Deer Isle Granite is perhaps the most famous of the stones to come from the Penobscot Bay area. There is an extensive list of monumental buildings and structures to be found via the link at the end of this post, but I will list a few that are close to home: Croton Aquaduct 1880; Harlem River Bridge 1880; Approaches to the Brooklyn Bridge circa 1880; Willis Avenue Bridge 1890’s; East River Bridge 1901; Roosevelt Island Bridge 1901; NY County Courthouse 1921; Cathedral of St. John the Divine 1925; the New York Historical Society, original building, 1903 and cladding for new addition; and the Carpenters Union Headquarters (Hudson/12th Streets) 1960’s. Granite is a beautiful and durable building stone, usually with less deterioration than sedimentary stones (especially when not properly bedded). The best part about the quarry pictured here however, is if you are an avid sea kayaker, you can paddle there, swim in the old quarry (a bit cold) or in the shallow inlet water beyond (much warmer). There is a sandy beach for a nice post swim picnic.
