82 
[Assembly 
Local Details of Granite Quarries and Locations suitable 
FOR Quarries, in Putnam and Westchester Counties. 
Blunfs Quarry. 
This is located on the south side of Break-neck Point, near the line 
between Putnam and Dutchess counties. There is an inexhaustible sup- 
ply of a material of the best quality. It is a bluish-grey granitic rock, 
composed mostly of a dark coloured feldspar, with some hornblendcj 
quartz, and occasionally a little mica. It is more properly sienite than 
granite. It is scarcely as dark as the Quincy granite or sienite, while 
it is as beautiful, has about the same strength, splits as well, and is as 
easily dressed. The stone from this quarry has been extensively used 
in the construction of the Delaware Breakwater, of Fort Calhoun and 
Fortress Monroe. The mountain rock has not been quarried at this 
place, but only the large masses that have tumbled from the cliffs above. 
It is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the quantity of granite 
in this vicinity, but there may be in the end of the mountain 500 acres, 
with an average depth of 500 feet, or 803,640 cubic yards to the acre, 
or 401,720,000 cubic yards on 500 acres. Blunt's quarry is located on 
the immediate shore of the Hudson river, but on account of the flats, 
the stone has been hauled about sixty rods to a landing. This quarry 
bids fair to become valuable; but there is one disadvantage that may per- 
haps operate as a draw-back to its advantageous position. It is over- 
hung by a precipice of several hundred feet in height, and^in the quar- 
rying operations, the heavy blasts may bring dow^n hundreds of thou- 
sands of tons of rock wdiich can be useful only for dock stone and bal- 
last. 
Highland Granite Cojvipany's Quarry. 
This quarry is principally owned by Messrs. How^ard & Holden. It 
is located one-fourth of a mile from the Hudson river, and half a mile 
east of Blunt's quarry, near Break-neck Point, and about two miles from 
Cold Springs. It is elevated about 400 feet above the Hudson, in full 
view of the river. 
The stone is of excellent quality, and splits easily into large blocks. 
It is composed principally of feldspar, with a little hornblende, and is 
indistinctly stratified, or at least, it lies in thick, heavy beds, with pa- 
rallel seams, six to twelve feet apart, and which are slightly inclined to 
the horizon. The quarry is inexhaustible, and ought to be very valua- 
ble. This quarry is on part of the bed of granitic rock, described under 
Blunt's quarry. 
