Current Events & Happenings
​Visit our current events & happening web page for all up coming events and special programs of the museum

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Archaeology Day 2018 at the Lyons Turning Mill
October Archaeology Month
The Quarry Museum opened the Lyons Turning Mill site and the Mini Museum  for tours.  Interpretive information and pictures of the mill when it was in operation in 1894 were also on display. Visitors toured the mill throughout the day which attracted over 50 visitors. Tours were led by museum historian Tom Bonomi, and was assisted by museum member James Andrews.
 

October 2018        Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum Open Meeting 
The Quarry Museum held its October meeting at the Quincy Historical Society featuring a PowerPoint presentation by Al Bina museum president on Jonathan S. Swingle known as the “Extra Dark Man” who quarried the extra dark Quincy granite. One of the highlights of the presentations was a 3' x 4' portrait of Jonathan S. Swingle in oils by artist J. L. Findley painted in 1927 and donated to the museum by his great granddaughter who was present at the meeting along family members. Also museum member Les Tyrala a geologist gave a brief explanation of Swingle's extra dark granite.

October 2018        Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum Open  Meeting
 
Please join us for a power point presentation on Jonathan S. Swingle “The Extra Dark Man” who was Quincy’s leading granite quarry owner and whose quarry produced the extra dark Quincy granite.
 
The meeting will be held  Wednesday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m.
Quincy Historical Society
8 Adams Street
Quincy Center
For more information call 617-472-1322
www.quincyquarrymuseum.org
quincyquarrymuseum@verizon.net

MASSACHUSETTS
ARCHAEOLOGY MONTH   OCTOBER  2018
 and
 QUINCY QUARRY & GRANITE WORKERS MUSEUM
 
Please join the Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum as we celebrate Massachusetts Archaeology Month at the Lyons Turning Mill. The Lyons Turning Mill, part of Quincy's rich granite history, is on the National and State Register of Historic places.  The Museum will open the mill site for information and tours of the mill and interpretive information on artifacts scattered through out the area. Also the museum will be open for viewing.
 
            Where:            Lyons Turning Mill
                                    Quarry Hills Drive, West Quincy
            When:             Saturday, October 20th.
            Time:              10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
 
             Rain Date: Saturday,October 27th.
           
            Directions:     From Curry's Hardware, Copeland Street, proceed under expressway, stay to right to stop sign.  Proceed across ramp onto Ricciuti Drive to end and right on to Quarry Hills Drive. Turning Mill will be 100 yards on left.
 
Visit our website www.quincyquarrymuseum.org
For more information call 617-472-1322

Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum
 September 2018
Learn about the geology of
 Quincy Granite and  Stone Splitting 
 
Come learn the geology of Quincy granite. What is Quincy granite? What made Quincy granite? Where did Quincy granite come from? How did it get to Quincy and what uncovered Quincy granite?
Also
Learn about splitting stone from museum members, try your hand at splitting  Quincy granite and visit the museum.
 
Join us Saturday, September 29th, 10:00 a.m. at the Mini Museum,
Lyons Turning Mill,
 Quarry Hills Drive, West Quincy
Rain date October 6th
For weather related information or any additional information
 call the museum at 617-472-1322
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History Camp Quarry Walk August 2018
The Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum held a quarry walk for History Camp Boston on Saturday, August 18 with museum historian Tom Bonomi. Boston History Camp was established in 2015 and brings people of all ages and all walks of life, regardless of profession or degree of education, who are interested in history and want to learn more. The walking tour given by the Museum consisted of a tour with interpretive photos and information on the sites covered which included the Granite Railway Company quarry, Inclined Plane Railway, built by Gridley Bryant in 1826, Lyons Turning Mill and the Quarry Museum's Mini Museum which is located at the Turning Mill site.

Stone Staging Area
 The Quarry Museum has established a stone staging area at the Mini Museum where demonstrations of stone splitting, stone finishing and other stone related operations can be performed. The area will also be used for geology presentations.  

Presidential Wreath - Laying Ceremony
Wednesday, June 11, 2018
 The museum took part in the 51 st anniversary of the presidential wreath-laying tradition at the Church of the Presidents also known as the  "Stone Temple," Quincy Center. Following the ceremony the public was invited to tour the Adams' Crypt where Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and their wives are interred. The public was invited to visit the parish hall for a special exhibit on Quincy granite that the church was built of  and the celebration also of the church's 190th birthday. The special exhibit on  Quincy granite  was created by the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum. The public was also invited to have a slice of presidential birthday cake courtesy of Konditor Meister Bakery, Braintree. 

​Bunker Hill & Granite Railway Walk 2018
Saturday June 6th

Cleaner Greener Day Quincy 2018
Thanks to  museum members for a successful Cleaner Greener Day on Saturday May 5th at the Inclined Plane Railway. The railway was cleaned up and mulched to get it ready for the many visitors to the site. The Inclined Plane Railway was used to transport granite down from Pine Hill Ledge which later became the Granite Railway Company to the Granite Railway the first commercial railroad in America to transport goods.   

Exploring Granite and Geminid Meteor Shower
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On the night of December 13th Sally Owen a museum member and Quincy Park  Department organizer led a tour of the Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Mini Museum followed by a short trip to a very dark parking lot of the soccer fields off of Ricciuti Drive to look for the Geminid meteor shower. The Geminids are considered to be one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. As can be seen in the photo below it was a very cold night indicated by the young lady's  coat.

 Quincy Rotary Club December Meeting
 
Al Bina president of the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum gave a PowerPoint presentation to the Quincy Rotary Club. The presentation was an introduction to the museum from its inception to the most recent event, the opening of the Mini Museum on Quarry Hills Dr., West Quincy. In photo L to R Rotary president Andy  Oatway, Al Bina, Tom Galvin longtime member of Quincy Rotary and also the City of Quincy Historian.

Quincy Quarry Museum's Mini Museum

Granite Railway Quarry Walk
On Saturday, November 4, the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum and the DCR, Department of Conservation and Recreation held a joint quarry walk at the Granite Railway Company quarry, Quincy. The walking tour was led by museum historian Tom Bonomi and Maggie Brown DCR interpretive ranger. Both Tom and Maggie gave interpretive information about the quarry along the walk and historic photos of the sites along the walk were displayed. At the end of the walk people were invited to tour the Mini Museum at the Lyons Turning Mill site.

 Bunker Hill Quarry Walk 2017
On Saturday, June 17th, Bunker Hill Day in Massachusetts the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum and the DCR, Department of Conservation and Recreation held a quarry walk that included the Granite Railway. Tom Bonomi museum historian and Maggie Brown DCR Interpretive Ranger led a walk providing interpretive information on the quarry, the Bunker Hill Monument and the Granite Railway.

May Meeting of the Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum at the Quincy Historical Society 2017

Museum president Al Bina and museum historian Tom Bonomi gave a power point presentation on Quincy's archaeologist Richrd (Dick) Muzzrole. The presentation covered the work of Dick Muzzrole at the John Winthrop Jr. Iron Blast Furnace, Germantown Glassworks and his passion, the Granite Railway all located in Quincy. 

South Shore Science Festival
The Quarry Museum will participated in the Science Festival on Saturday, April 22 from 10 to 3 at the Quincy Center for Innovation which is a branch of Quincy Chamber of Commerce located at 100 Old Colony Ave., Quincy. At the festival there were many activities to introduce children of all ages to the different areas of science. The Museum's display focused on the six simple machines, the pulley, lever, screw, ramp or incline plane, wedge and wheel and axle. The Museum will display photos, models and examples of the simple machines which were all related to the granite industry. Last year the Science Festival attracted over 400 attendees. The Museum this year will continue to participate in the presentation and demonstrations bringing together science and mathematics using the history of the granite industry as examples.
 
 

New Granite Trust Building Window Display
The Quarry Museum has a new window display at the Granite Trust Building in Quincy Center. The display is the story of local Native Americans who were the first to quarry stone in Quincy and Milton. On display are Native Americans artifacts  from the collection of the Quincy Historical Society all found in Quincy and vicinity.  

March Meeting 2017
Museum member Tom Bonomi gave a power point presentation titled "Virtual Walking Tour of the Granite Rail quarry. The meeting was well attended and also attending was Maggie Brown, Head Ranger Blue Hills Div. who's jurisdiction covers the Granite Rail quarry and Les Tyrala a register geologist both sharing information on the quarry. 
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Quincy Quarry Museum February Meeting 2017

Ed Gordon, Director of Museum Programs at the historic Old Schwamb Mill, giving his presentation on the mill which included a video presentation on the Mill's history and operation in the construction of  circular and elliptical frames. The Mill operated in the same era as the Lyons Turning Mill  employing immigrants similar to the operation at the Lyons Mill. 

Quarry Museum December Meeting       Celebrating Quincy Quarries
          Part 1    Swingle Quarry History
The Quarry Museum's December meeting featured a power point presentation given by Joseph Greene  who has done extensive research on the Swingle history. The presentation included Jonathan S. Swingle's family history from the  Blue Rock Township of his youth to a successful quarry owner and busuiness man in Quincy at the turn of the  18th centery.

​Quincy Park Department Environmental Treasures Program and Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum
​           Part 2      Movies Filmed At The Quarries
The group toured the quarry sites with Sally Owen of the Environmental Treasures Program.   Tom Bonomi of the Quarry Museum led the group to sites in the quarry area where 4 films were filmed and spoke of the  history of the  quarry areas.

​Thomas Crane Public Library & Quincy Park Department Environmental Treasures Program & Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum
                 Part 3     Movies At The Library
The four movies that were filmed at the quarries were "Gone Baby Gone," "The Invention Of Lying," "The Cardinal" and "Quarry" a 16 minute documentary shown for the first time in Quincy.
Richard Rogers at the time was a student at Harvard and later became a professorat Harvard filmed a "slice of life" art film showing kids diving into the Granite Rail quarry,hanging out, and talking about Vietnam in 1967.  
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October 2016
The quarry Museum held its October meeting on Wednesday, October 5 at the Ward 4 Community Ctr. with over 35 in attendance. Al Bina opened the meeting giving an update on the Museum's business and the upcoming activities. The meeting continued with an illustrated presentation by Doug Bingham about Alexander Parris a prominent American architect and engineer in the  1890s and into the 1900s. Alexander Parris transitioned between federal style and later Greek revival. His influence spanned from Virginia to the tip of Maine, producing residences, churches and commercial buildings. In 1815 he moved to Boston working for Charles Bulfinch and  later in Parris,s career becoming Boston's leading architect of the "Boston Granite Style". Also on display were over 40 photos of many of Parris,s architectural projects also including many lighthouses which dotted the coast from the Virginia's to the tip of Maine

June Geology & Stone Splitting 2016
Individuals trying their hand splitting Quincy granite using the feather and wedge method. 
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May Meeting 2016
 The City of Quincy's historian Tom Galvin gave a slide presentation at the May meeting of the Quarry Museum titled "Quincy's Industrial, Manufacturing and Commercial Past". Many interesting facts on the history of the subjects that were presented in the presentation was enjoying by over 40 in attendance.
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April Meeting 2016
The Quarry Museum held its April meeting with Tom Bonomi  taking those present on a power point presentation on a tour of  " Where is Quincy granite in Quincy Center"

Monolithic Column Donation March 2016
The Quarry Museum received a donation of two monolithic granite columns quarried and turned in Quincy that adorned the entrance to the old Quincy District Court House built in 1907 and demolished in 1973 to make way for President Place. The court house was built in classical revival style a riff on Greek architecture typical of American courthouses, with wide steps leading up to two simple columns under a triangular pediment. The columns are 19' 6" in length and 30" in diameter and weigh approximately 8.15 tons. The columns were  in the woods off Ricciuti Drive for thirty years and now the museum has the columns at the Lyons Turning Mill site. The columns were donated by the current owners of the property, Universal Properties  of  Newton, Stu Levy, Sy Marcus and thanks to Leo Martin, Jr. of Martin Realty of Quincy for his help in acquiring the columns. Thanks also to Sean Farrell of Sean Farrell Excavating of Quincy for donating personnel and heavy equipment for the excavation and transportation of the columns to the turning mill site.

Window Display Quincy Center March 2016
The Quarry Museum has changed its window display in the old Granite Trust Building now Bank of America at 1400 Hancock Street in Quincy Center. The new display tells the story of Quincy's archaeologist Richard "Dick" Muzzrole who single handed unearthed portions of the Granite Railway the first commerical railroad in America at the Bunker Hill Quarry and the wharf  in Milton at Gullivers Creek and the Neponset River. This enabled the granite to be transported  to Charlstown for construction of the Bunker Hill Monument. All photos were taken from sldes he took of his work at the sites. Dick Muzzrole passed away in 2013 at the age of 94 and left the people of Quincy a great resource of information on the railway for future generations to study.

March Meeting
The Quarry Museum had a very interesting presentation at the March meeting by Paul McCarthy who has documented the identity of granite carrrying vessels wrecked within the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Upward of thirty in attendance enjoyed the power point presentation and had many questions and comments which contributed to a great meeting
 

Geology and Stone Splitting
The Museum held a geology and splitting of Quincy granite at the Lyons Quarry and  Turning Mill site. Museum member geologist Les Tyrala gave a very informative presentation on the geology of Quincy granite. The granite splitting activity led by museum members Al Bina and Tom Bonomi was a great success and enjoyed by all. 

Lyons Turning Mill Tour
The Quarry Museum took part in the Quincy Chamber of Commerce Discover Quincy 50 Days of Freedom opening the Lyons Turning Mill. The museum conducted tours of the mill and grounds and displayed photos of the mill when it was in operation in 1894. Also on display were stone cutting tools of that era. Tom Bonomi, museum member, giving an introduction of the mill and tools used at the mill.

Stabilization work at the Lyons Turning Mill 

First phase capping o the fwalls is in progress.  Work on the Lyons Turning Mill is being funded by the Quincy Community Preservation Committee and Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum.  The work is being done
by Folan Waterproofing and Construction Co. of So. Easton, MA. Progress will beupdated on our web site.

Swingle's Bridge Plaque

Swingle's Bridge Plaque

Quarry Museum received the plaque from the bridge that spanned a portion of Swingle's Quarry that was constructed in 1904. 

The plaque was donated by Virginia and Berine Sweeney in memory of Berine's father Bernard Sweeney and William Yuscavitch. 




Top photo
L to R Al Bina accepting plaque, Berine Sweeney his wife Virginia, Silvia Yuscavitch and Bill Yuscavitch. 

Bottom photo
Historical photo from the Thomas Crane Library's Parker Collection showing a quarry worker standing on the bridge next to the
plaque.

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