Ken,
Paul Marlowe and I recently attended four lectures presented by the
Antiquarian Society of CT on Stone in Connecticut. One lecture on stone
walls, two on gravestones and monuments and a third on the Portland
Quarries. Although I have been up to Mike's set up many times and
walked the trails on the Portland side I had no idea the fun history.
James Stanclift came from England at the age of fifty in the 1680's and
became our first known Brownstone sculptor. He and his son's styles are
recognizable to the briefly initiated. Anyway, there were actually four
quarries, one accessible only by the townspeople. Although shipping was
always the main supply method, a lot of money was spent to set up rail
lines by the turn of the century. It never worked and the demand for
brownstone fell off for want of something new, different and a little
brighter!
By the way, the Australian fellow working with us on Keys did
all the testing for Mike's stone and states the new stone is much more
durable, if less uniform, than some of the "muddy crap" that was
quarried in abundance. I post for you a brief history:
Along the beautiful curve of the Connecticut River that separates
Portland from Middletown, prehistoric sediments collected and eventually
formed a rich repository of brownstone. This process occurred during the
Triassic epoch of world development.
Brownstone has unique qualities that were valued by early European
settlers. It was plentiful in the area, relatively easy to quarry, and
soft enough to allow for fine carving and polishing. Furthermore, its
brown color appropriately expressed the somber realities of the times.
That the quarries were close to the river allowed stone blocks to be
transported by ship to various locations.
The earliest records of this budding industry date back to when
Portland was known as East Middletown. The property was designated as a
"common ground," which meant that acquisition of the stone was free of
charge to any Middletown resident. Unfortunately, it was soon discovered
that non-residents were taking the stone as well. In 1686, a English
born stone cutter was assigned the duty of protecting the quarries from
outsiders. This included rights to quarrying the stone in exchange for
"certain masonry services" to Middletown. His name was James Stanclift,
the "first pounder" or warden.
It is believed by many that, in 1690, James Stanclift became the
first European to build a house within the area of what would someday
become Portland. He not only sold the stone that he cut, he also carved
numerous gravestones in the area.
Middletown deeded rights to the quarries to Wesleyan University
from 1833 to 1884. During this time, proceeds from the quarry business
helped to finance the university's expenses. The stone itself provided
ideal construction material for many of its buildings. They are still
being used on campus, adding their stately New England grandeur to this
ivy league school.
In 1886, the quarry property was privately leased to a company
named Middlesex Quarrying Company. Around this time, brownstone
excavation reached its peak, employing over 1,500 workers. This readily
available employment attracted immigrants from Sweden, Ireland and
Italy, creating an ethnic and cultural mix that is still apparent in the
town today.
The quarries produced enough brownstone to employ a fleet of 25
ships, delivering construction material as far away as Boston and New
York, and even to San Francisco and London!
Boston and New York found the versatility of brownstone to be as
fashionable as it was convenient. Whole neighborhoods were composed of
houses still collectively referred to as "brownstones."
It was used locally as well, in public schools, churches and
private residences. Beautiful examples can be seen at the old Town Hall,
Middle School, Liberty Bank, Stonehaven and Trinity Church, all located
on Main Street. Brownstone foundations can be found on many of the older
houses in town. The Civil War monument, on the corner of Main and
Bartlett, provides a sample of its artistic potential.
Across the river, brownstone was used to build St. John's Church,
the Masonic Temple, and the old Crescent Street Hospital.
The prevalence of brownstone lent an architectural somberness that
seemed appropriate to post-Civil War America. So many Americans were
either killed or maimed in that war, that the grief-stricken, antebellum
period came to be known as the "Brown Decades."
In 1884, E. I. Bell established the Connecticut Steam Brownstone
Company, an innovative enterprise that made it possible for the stone to
be cut on site (at the quarry) to the architect's specification. This
reduced production and transportation costs considerably.
As time went on, however, construction methods and materials started to
evolve. The introduction of concrete sounded the death knoll for the
busy Portland Quarries. Operations became intermittent.
In 1936, flood waters filled the quarries, effectively ending their
centuries old career. People tried to pump the water out, but this ended
up to be costly and ineffective. It is surmised that the flood opened
some underground springs, making a full reacquisition impossible.
For a while, the abandoned quarries were almost forgotten. Even
residents who lived nearby rarely thought of them, and new people moving
into town might never see them at all!
It seemed as if the movement of time had effectively separated the once
popular quarries from the lives of Portland residents. But time has a
way of reversing itself in unpredictable ways. The beautiful
"brownstones" of the past became in need of restoration. A modest but
growing demand for replacement material encouraged new operations at one
end of the larger quarry. Local teachers, hoping to spark historical
interests in their students, sponsor field trips to this work-site.
With the quarries just a few hundred yards from Portland's business
district on Main Street, it seemed only natural to include them as a
vital element in promoting the local economy. Thus began a grassroots
movement to encourage awareness of the quarries as a vital element of
Portland's history, as well as a potential resource for the future! This
movement gained momentum, and encouraged the National Park Service to
officially designate the Portland Quarries as a National Historic
Resource.
Awareness of the quarries continues to rise. The Town of Portland now
owns the quarries and adjacent riverfront property. There is even a
local civic group known as Brownstone Quorum that is committed to the
preservation and community-oriented utilization of the site. The
quarries were even showcased on the PBS documentary series, Positively
Connecticut.
And so the Portland Quarries are reclaiming some of their significance.
Their craggy walls, rising from the still waters of their flooded
basins, stand as a huge and silent monument to an earlier century of
Americana.
Local historians share what they know, gleaning information from ancient
ledgers and probate records, but the majority of the past remains locked
within those steep cliffs, unarticulated, yet somehow shared with
visitors who choose this location to peer into the past.
On another note, I will not be able to be in Boston this weekend due to
family and work demands, Oh! And Sunday is Mother's Day.
Best,
Leland
-
--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>
|
