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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Bunker Hill Quarry Exploration & Granite Railway Walk   2019
The Bunker Hill Monument which stands 221 feet tall in Charlestown to commemorate one of the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775, had its humble beginnings in the rocky hills of the Blue Hills Reservation. Solomon Willard, the architect and superintendent,  roamed the countryside looking for suitable stone for the monument and found it in West Quincy. Join members of the Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum and a DCR Park Interpreter as we explore Bunker Hill Quarry, and learn about the amazing engineering feats behind the building of the Bunker Hill Monument and the Granite Railway, first commercial railroad in America that transported granite from the quarries of West Quincy to the Neponset River for shipment to Charlstown.  Must be able to walk 1 mile on  moderately rocky, uneven terrain. Join the walk on Saturday, June 15th  at 10am
 
  Meet at the Quincy Quarries parking lot at 10 am located on Ricciuti Drive in West Quincy. Look for the large  paved parking lot on the right at the top the first hill.
 

Were Is Fort Rock (and other historical mysteries) Walk
Quincy's 300th Anniversary in 1925
Sally Owen a Quarry Museum member and director of the Quincy Park Departments Environmental Treasures Program led a walking tour titled Where is Fort Rock (and other historical mysteries)? Sally has organized and led countless historical and environmental group walks throughout the city of Quincy with great enthusiasm on each walk. This walk was in preparation for the 400th anniversary of Quincy's  settlement in 2025. The walk looked back on how Quincy celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1925. The walk consisted of part of the route of the 1925 walk. The first stop on the walk was the South Commons quarries on the Braintree, Quincy line at the intersection of E. Howard St. and Quincy Avenue. Museum members. Al Bina and Tom Bonomi of the Quarry Museum gave a presentation on the history of the South Commons and how the stones were quarried split and hammered for the Kings Chapel in Boston. The walk then continue along E. Howard St. to the shipyard vicinity were Sally and Rob Ross shared stories of ship building and the history of the Fore River Shipyard. The walk ended in the parking lot of the Quincy Mental Health Center that is believed to have been the location of Fort Rock, which overlooks the Fore River. Sally Owens said in 1925 a worker carved the points of the compass on top of the rock. The walk was a great success with over 60 in attendance thanks to the planning and research by Sally, Patty Williams and Rob Ross.

Museum President Al Bina and Museum Historian Tom Bonomi opening the walk at the South Commons Quarry location

Granite Railway Display
New Window Display at the Granite Trust Building
The Quarry Museum has a new window display at the Old Granite Trust Building 1400 Hancock Street in Quincy Center. The display tells the story of the Granite Railway the first commercial incorporated railroad in America. On display are some of the artifacts that archaeologist Richard Muzzrole unearthed at the site of the terminus of the railroad at the Bunker Hill Quarry in West Quincy. The centerpiece of the display is a large picture of the terminus of the railway by Patriot Ledger artist Draper Hill based on the archaeological work done by Richard Muzzrole in the 60’s. An 1833 map of the entire route of the railway showing the location of the Bunker Hill Quarry, Inclined Plane Railway, superintendent’s house, boarding house for workmen, sheds for hammering stone, blacksmiths’ shop, Boston Plymouth Road, Squantum Road and Gullivers Creek are all located on the map.  On display also are historical pictures and interpretive information on the railroad including a model by museum historian, Tom Bonomi, showing a cutaway of the construction of the railway and roadbed as designed by Gridley Bryant in 1826. Also on display is a model of a section of the rail after the wooden rails were converted to a granite rail with strap iron attached to the granite to support the continuous heavy loads that it was carrying. 
Click on photo to enlarge

Quincy Environmental Treasures Program
WHERE IS FORT ROCK (and other historical mysteries)?
 
Saturday, March 30, 2 p.m.
(Rain date: March 31, 2 p.m.)
 
In preparation for the 400th anniversary of Quincy's settlement in 2025, we will look back on how Quincy celebrated its 300th anniversary in 1925.  We will walk part of the tour route in the shipyard area described in the Historical Guide prepared for the celebration to see what was considered important back then and how things have changed in the last 100 years.  The tour will include a description of how Quincy granite was quarried to build King's Chapel.  Co-sponsored by the Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum.  Meet at the parking lot at the intersection of W. Howard St. and Quincy Ave. (next to Hajjars Big and Tall).
For more information and rain date rescheduling of the tours, please call 617/472-0799.
 

     Quincy Quarry & Granite Workers Museum
                      February Meeting 2019
 
Les Tyrala, a museum member and registered geologist, will give a presentation on quarrying in the counties of Devon and Cornwall in the UK. Les has gathered together historic images, plus photos ranging from undisturbed granitic outcrops to the disused quarry pits to the final transportation to market of stone.
 
                                      Public Welcome
 
                  When:      Wed., February, 20th at 7 p.m.
                  Where:     Quincy Historical Society
                                              8 Adams Street
                                               Quincy Center
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New West Window Display at the Granite Trust Building
Native American Window Display Quincy Center
 
The Quincy Quarry and Granite Workers Museum has establish a new window display at the Old Granite Trust Building 1400 Hancock Street , Quincy Center. The display is the story of the Native Americans, the first to quarry stone in the Blue Hills of Quincy and Milton. The display features pictures drawings and interpreted information of Native Americans quarrying stone. Samples of the three types of stone that were quarried by Native Americans from outcroppings in the Blue Hills with interpretative geological information on each type is on display. Also on display are Native American artifacts from the collection of the Quincy Historical Society. Artifacts on display include axes, clubs, projectiles, pestles and grinding stones all found around Quincy and vicinity.

Granite Railway Quarry Geology Walk November 2018
On Saturday, November 17th the Quarry Museum took part in a geology walk at the Granite Railway Quarry sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Recreation with head ranger Maggi Brown, registered geologist Les Tyrala , museum historian Tom Bonomi and museum president Al Bina. Geologist Les Tyrala explained the geology of the quarry site and Quincy granite, Tom Bonomi and Al Bina filled in the history of the Granite Railway Quarry along with pictures.

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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

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 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. 

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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June Geology & Stone Splitting 2017
Individuals trying their hand splitting Quincy granite using the feather and wedge method. 
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Monolithic Column Donation
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.

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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