Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 27.djvu/542

524 face and readily accessible. In regions farther to the south, beyond the limits of glacial action, the granite-beds are still covered with a mass of decomposed rock, often many feet in thickness, and which must be removed before quarrying can commence. It is probably largely due to these facts that the granites of these two States are enabled to compete so favorably in the Washington market with those from near Richmond, Virginia, a distance of only four or five hours' ride by rail.

Granite did not come into general use for building purposes in this country until a comparatively recent date, owing largely to the great difficulty in working it. According to Mr. J. E. Wolff, one of the earliest stone buildings in Boston was the "stone house of Deacon John Phillips," erected about 1650, and which continued to stand until 1864. It was built chiefly of bowlders from the immediate vicinity. In 1737 was built of bowlders, of Braintree (Quincy) granite, the old Hancock house, since torn down. The granite bowlders scattered over the commons had been very generally used in Quincy for steps, foundations, etc., for some years previous to this, until at last the inhabitants, becoming frightened lest this supply of valuable building material should become entirely exhausted, assembled in town-meeting and voted that "no person shall dig or carry off" any stone "on the said commons or undivided lands upon any account whatever without license from the committee, . . . upon penalty of the forfeiture of ten shillings for every and each cart-load so dug and carried away." Little did they then imagine that, close at their doors, this same stone existed in such quantities that over half a century of almost constant quarrying has failed to exhaust the supply. It was not, however, until the early part of the present century that granite began to be used at all extensively in and about Boston, when the material was introduced in considerable quantities by canal from Chelmsford, thirty miles distant. It was from the Chelmsford stone that was constructed in 1810 the Boston Court-House, in 1814 the New South Church, and in 1818-'19 the first stone block in the city, a portion of which is still standing on Brattle Street. In this year also a considerable quantity of the stone was shipped to Savannah, Georgia, for the construction of a church at that place. The greater part of this granite was, however, obtained from bowlders, and it was not until the opening of quarries at Quincy, in 1825, that the business assumed any great importance. From this time the use of granite for building material increased in a marked degree, and the history of stone-quarrying in Massachusetts may properly begin with this date.

Under the head of marbles are here included all those rocks consisting essentially of carbonate of lime (limestone), or carbonate of lime and magnesia (magnesian limestones and dolomites), which are susceptible of receiving a good polish, and are suitable for