Plan on allowing for GPS bounce at all three stages.
FLYNT QUARRY HISTORY
The quarry was first opened between 1790 and 1809 by the U.S.
Government who used the stone to construct the Springfield Armory.
The quarry stood unused until 1825 when it was purchased by a local
businessman, Rufus Flynt.
Upon his death in 1836, Flynt's 18 year old son, William
Norcross Flynt, took over the family business. At this time, the
majority of W.N. Flynt's business was the production of posts,
curbing, foundations, building trim and cemetery monuments.
Production remained slow since the only transportation available in
this area was by oxen over very rough roadways.
With the arrival of the Boston and Albany Railroad in 1839 and
the New London Railroad in 1850, distribution became more
profitable for Flynt. As Monson's granite became more widely known,
the demand also increased. Flynt's work force consisted of local
descendents of English settlers as well as Irish and Italian
immigrants that were drawn to Monson eager to find work. Many of
them had experience working with stone in their homeland and had a
keen understanding of what was needed to quarry stone.
In 1875, Flynt constructed a private two mile rail spur from the
main line of the New London Railroad near the intersection of
Chestnut and Main Street in Monson at a cost of approximately
$30,000. The spur crossed over a large iron trestle and proceeded
up a hill to the quarry itself. The reliance on oxen diminished and
steam derricks were erected to lift the quarried stone directly
onto rail cars. In conjunction with this spur, a rock crushing
plant was constructed at the site that was known as the 'Rock
House' situated southeast of the main quarry. This plant was used
in the production of trap rock which was used in the rapidly
expanding business of road and rail bed construction.
By the 1880's, the Flynt Quarry site had grown to over 500
acres. Although the entire property was under laid with granite,
only a small portion had actually been mined. The stone from
Flynt's quarry has been used in all parts of the United States for
building and monumental purposes. In its time, it became ranked as
one of the most valuable building stones in the United States.
A partial list of buildings constructed with granite from the W.
N. Flynt Granite Company are:
- Memorial Town Hall, Monson MA
- Horation Lyon Memorial Library, Monson MA
- Flynt Memorial Fountain, Monson, MA
- Boston and Albany Railroad Depot, Palmer MA
- Springfield Juvenile Courthouse, Springfield MA
- City Hall, Holyoke MA
- Walker Hall Amherst College, Amherst MA
- Boston and Albany Railroad Depot, Boston MA
- St. Francis Xavier Church, New York, NY
- Henry Hilton Mansion, Saratoga Springs, NY
- South P Avenue M.E. Church, Chicago, IL
The quarry went into decline upon the introduction of concrete
as a more popular form of construction and the quarry was
eventually closed by around 1935. This site would eventually become
the town's landfill until its closure in the 1970's.
Special thanks go out to Dennis and Mary Swierad, the Monson
Historical Society and the Monson Historical Commission for this
information.