PRIMARY ROCKS. 537 
1. Fort Putnam near West-Point, where the well was dug. This is a coarse aggregate of felspar, 
hornblende, and some quartz. 
2. The iron mine on the eastern side of Bare mountain, about four miles southwest of West-Point. 
Here the sienite is intermixed with titaniferous iron ore. 
3. The range of hills west of that on which Fort Putnam is built, about one mile west of West-Point, 
4. The base of Butter hill, four miles north of West-Point. 
There is another kind of sienite common in the Highlands as loose blocks, but not often 
seen in place, composed almost entirely of a dark colored felspar, which is sometimes opale¬ 
scent. It is, however, dissimilar to the labradorite of the mountains of Essex county. It 
contains a little hornblende, and this is sometimes arranged in a kind of parallelism that gives 
a partially striped aspect to the rock in one direction. Much of it resembles in some respects 
the sienite of Mount Eve. It maybe seen in blocks from one ton to two hundred tons weight, 
in almost every part of the Highlands. 
3. Gneiss. 
This rock is predominant in every part of the Highlands of Rockland and Orange counties. 
Its modifications have already been described, as well as its stratification, and allusion has 
been made to some of the transverse upheaves that have changed the dip and line of bearing 
to a direction nearly perpendicular to the general ones. 
This rock has been quarried in many places, but the quarries can scarcely be said to be 
fairly opened. Many fine locations for quarries exist which have not yet been opened. 
Gneiss, and granitic gneiss, have been quarried from the loose blocks at the base of Butter 
hill and of the Crow’s Nest, on the shore. There is a great abundance of durable stone 
here, which can be easily obtained. It is rather hard to dress, but is beautiful and indestruc¬ 
tible. 
At West-Point two fine quarries of gneiss have been opened, and worked occasionally for 
many years. Most of the buildings at West-Point are constructed of stones from these 
quarries. They are of a beautiful bluish grey color. The quarries are about half a mile 
north of Fort Putnam. 
A quarry has been opened at Block-house point, about half a mile below West-Point, or 
three-fourths of a mile below Gee’s point. 
Another quarry may be opened about one-fourth of a mile above Block-house point, on the 
shore, northeast of the Hospital. 
Another quarry has been opened on the shore, about half way between Block-house point 
and Mrs. Kinsley’s. Much of the rock along the shore to near Mrs. Kinsley’s landing, may 
be quarried with advantage. 
Cozzens’s quarry is one-fourth of a mile below Mrs. Kinsley’s. 
A quarry has been wrought on the shore, about one-fourth of a mile above Buttermilk falls. 
Another extensive one might be opened between that and Buttermilk falls. 
Another quarry is at Buttermilk falls. 
Geol. 1st Dist. 68 
