Historic Hallowell

Many of America's finest public monuments were cut from Hallowell granite and sculpted by her artisans, but why stone from the banks of the Kennebec and who were the movers, shakers, and hard rock breakers?

Communities grow where nature provides raw materials and the ready access to transportation. Hallowell is no exception.

The Kennebec River is the thoroughfare. While, like most communities in Maine the first resource exploited was timber, quarrying granite soon followed as a money-maker.

What made Hallowell granite desirable?  It was light and fine grained, with a high percentage of feldspar which made it easily worked in the quarry and under the chisel. When dressed it was almost as white as marble, and when polished its surface glittered like diamonds.