Printer Friendly Version - Stony Creek Quarry Tour Digs into Past and Future

At the upcoming tour of the Stony Creek Quarry, tour guides will describe the lives and work of the quarrymen and the dangers they faced on a daily basis. At their peak around 1900, the Stony Creek quarries along the Branford-Guilford shoreline employed more than 1,800 men. Builders used Stony Creek granite for The West Point Battle Monument, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and the steps of Yale’s Woolsey Hall, as well as parts of the Brooklyn Bridge and Grant’s Tomb. Photo courtesy of The Stony Creek Museum and the Guilford Keeping Society

Visitors to the Stony Creek Quarry on Quarry Road in Branford on Saturday, June 1 at 10 a.m. will view the past, present, and future of this famous site in Branford. First will be a look into the past to view the cavernous quarry that yielded the world-famous Stony Creek granite for historic projects.

Next, those on tour will ride a shuttle up to the current quarry site that now provides pink granite to the country’s top architects.

Unk DaRos, and Carl Balestracci, both quarry historians and descendants of quarrymen, will share stories of the quarry’s history. They’ll describe the lives and work of the quarrymen and the dangers they faced on a daily basis. At their peak around 1900, the quarries along the Branford-Guilford shoreline employed more than 1,800 men. Builders used Stony Creek granite for The West Point Battle Monument, the base of the Statue of Liberty, and the steps of Yale’s Woolsey Hall, as well as parts of the Brooklyn Bridge and Grant’s Tomb.

But the quarry has more than historic significance. There is enough granite left for another 350 years. After the historic section of the tour and the van ride to the modern quarry site, visitors will hear from Stacy Mancini, a staff member at Stony Creek Quarry, about quarrying techniques. These days, the Stony Creek granite is in demand by such architects and landscape architects as Michael Graves and Michael Van Valkenburgh. Recent projects include work at Quinnipiac University, Columbia University, The Battery Park Conservancy, the Javits Federal Plaza in New York City, and many more.

The Stony Creek Museum and the Guilford Keeping Society (GKS) are organizing the tour in collaboration with the quarry. The proceeds will benefit both historic organizations. The tour begins at 10 a.m. It will be limited to 100 people. Tickets are available at Page Hardware, Breakwater Book well as the quarry itself and Taken for Granite in Stony Creek. Tickets are $15 in advance or at the quarry. Because of the rough terrain, children aged 10 and under will not be admitted. Organizers suggest that those who might have trouble standing for an hour might like to bring a folding chair.

Following the tour, GKS invites guests to stay for lunch at the Medad Stone Tavern, 171 Three Mile Course in Guilford. Homemade soup, crusty bread, and salad will be served.

Tickets for the $15 tour will be available at Page Hardware, Breakwater Books, and Taken for Granite or on June 1 at the quarry. Tickets for the $10 lunch will be available at the quarry on June 1.

Parking will be available inside the quarry gates. Directions to the quarry from the Guilford Green: Route 146 for 4.2 miles, right on Quarry Road (in Branford) to the end. Directions from Stony Creek: Route 146 for 0.6 miles, left on Quarry Road.