528 
GEOLOGY OF THE FIRST DISTRICT, 
below West-Point, and near the Cotton rock. The granite or granitic gneiss is of good qua¬ 
lity, of a light grey color, and durable. This locality was not examined closely ; but from the 
general aspect of the rock, it is believed to be a good location for a quarry. 
There are two locations for fine granite quarries on the estate of Gen. Van Cortlandt, on the 
shore of the Hudson in Westchester county, between Anthony’s Nose and Peekskill. The 
granite has the appearance of stone of superior quality, perfectly indestructible, and has every 
external aspect of quarrying easily in large blocks. Tt is inexhaustible in quantity, and ^es 
upon the shore of the Hudson river, with deep water alongside, so that the facilities for ship¬ 
ment are almost unrivalled. 
Beautiful light grey granite was seen in abundance from one to two and a half miles north¬ 
west of Boyd’s corners. It is as durable as time, and may be procured in any quantity, but 
its distancre from easy transportation by water or railroad will prevent its use at present beyond 
the neighborhood. 
It is estimated that several millions of dollars are annually paid out of the city of New-York, 
and the towns on the Hudson river, for building stone, brought from beyond the limits of the 
State ; while we have within our own boundaries, and near the markets, inexhaustible sup¬ 
plies, of equally good quality, which can be quarried, shipped and hauled at less expense than 
the stone we now import from Maine, New-Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The 
granites of the Hudson river must, then, soon be wrought and sent to market, and the quarries 
will become very valuable. 
2. SlENITE. 
This rock abounds in some parts of Westchester and Putnam counties. In Westchester 
county, it approaches in its characters to the “ Quincy granite” of Massachusetts, and would 
probably make as beautiful and durable a material for building as that which is justly so cele¬ 
brated. In Putnam the sienite is generally coarse grained, of a reddish color, spotted with 
black crystalline and irregular masses of hornblende. This rock passes into hornblende slate 
and hornblende gneiss on the one hand, and into hornblende rock on the other. No localities 
were seen in Putnam county where this rock would be available for economical uses, except 
the granitic seinite, which has already been mentioned under the head of granite, as occurring 
in Breakneck mountain, and at Stony point above Coldspring.'*^ 
The sienite of Westchester county is composed of felspar of a dark greyish color, contain¬ 
ing a little black hornblende. It forms the shore of Peekskill bay of the Hudson river, from 
about one-half mile to one and a half miles below Peekskill, on the eastern side of the bay. 
It forms the mass of some of the hills for four or five miles southeast of Peekskill, and valua- 
* The mountain at the northwest corner of Putnam county is frequently called Anthony's Nose and Anthony’s Face, in 
consequence of the profile hearing a rude resemblance to the human face, that may be seen in one position in passing it; 
but Breakneck mountain is the name by which it is generally known. Anthony’s Nose mountain is at the southwest 
corner of Putnam county, opposite Fort Montgomery. Stony point, above Coldspring, I propose to call Quarry point, to 
distinguish it from Stony point in Rockland county, a place of much notoriety in the annals of the revolution. 
