BUILDING AND ORNAMENTAL STONES. 287 



111 1824 a Mr. Bates, of Quincy, went to Sandy Hook, in the adjacent 

 town of Gloucester — a town heretofore noted only for its fishery in- 

 terests — and opened a granite quarry there. Not long after other (]aar- 

 ries were opened at Anisquam, where an extensive industry was carried 

 on for some years, though finally abandoned. Quarries were opened at 

 Ilockport, just beyond Gloucester, in 1827, and are still in active opera- 

 tion, and doing a j)rofitable business, although the first year's experi- 

 ence is said to have resulted in a net loss of $15. 



In 1848 the quarries at Bay Yiew were opened, which have since be- 

 come the property of the Cape Ann Granite Company, and form now 

 one of the best equipped quarries in the country, producing annually 

 not less than 480,000 cubic feet of stone, valued in the rough at $250,000. 



Although the Massachusetts quarries were the first systematically 

 worked to obtain granite for building purposes, other States were not 

 far behind. Thus we are told by Dr. Field* that as early as 1792 

 granite quarries were reported to have been opened at Iladdam Xeck, 

 in Connecticut, and as many as ninety hands were employed in this and 

 other quarries in the vicinity as early as 1819. This material is, how- 

 ever, a gneiss rather than a granite, and, splitting readily into slabs, was 

 used nearly altogether for curbing and paving, for which purpose it 

 brought from 10 to 20 cents per cubic foot. The principal markets for 

 the material were E.hode Island and the cities of Boston, New York, 

 Albany, and Baltimore. 



The rocky coast and adjacent islands of Maine are competent to 

 furnish for many years immense quantities of granitic rock of a color 

 and quality not to be excelled. The rare excellence of many of these 

 sites for quarries, together witli the ready facilities of transportation 

 by water to all the leading cities, early made itself apparent to the 

 shrewd and pushing business men of New England, and a very few 

 years after tlie commencing of works at Quincy saw similar beginnings 

 made at various iioints both on the coast and farther inland. 



The years 1830-',37 appear, for some reason, to have been peculiarly 

 prolific in schemes for speculation in this industry. 



It is stated by Northf that during the latter year, out of one hundred 

 and thirty-five acts of incorporation granted by the State legislature, 

 thirty were for granite companies, three of which were located in Au- 

 gusta. One was called the Augusta and New York Granite Company, 

 and was for working, rending, transporting, and dealing in granite from 

 the Hamlen ledge, situated about 2 miles from the river by way of West- 

 ern avenue. Another, named the Augnsta and Philadelphia Granite 

 Company, owned the Ballard ledge, a mile and a half from Kennebec 

 bridge by way of Northern avenue. A large ]>ortion of tlie granite for 

 the state-house, courthouse, and new jail was obtained from this ledge. 



* Centennial address and historical sketches of Middletown, Cromwell, Portlandt 

 Chatham, and Middle Haddani. 

 t History of Augusta, Me., p. r)82. 



