Sullivan Granite Company - Babcock-Smith House · Babcock-Smith House Museum Sullivan Granite...
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Volume 38 of 52 United Builders Supply Co. Inc. 401-596-2831 unitedbuilderssupply.com Babcock-Smith House Museum Sullivan Granite Company Sullivan Granite Company was across the street from where I grew up and, as a young girl, I went with my father and grandfather to watch large stones being removed from the quarry holes. My sister and I were often told to stay away from the quarry unless we were with an adult because the holes were way more than 200 feet deep, but to a child the warning was an open invitation to go exploring and we did. I particularly loved collecting pollywogs for science class from one of the small holes. When this granite project began, I started looking through the scrapbooks and photo albums which contain a wealth of information enabling me to share some of the history of Sullivan Granite Co. with you. Sullivan Granite Co. spanned three generations. John B. Sullivan, the founder and my great grandfather, started the business with a retail monument shop in Taunton, MA during the later part of the 1800’s. In May 1907 my grandfather, Frank A. Sullivan, moved to Westerly and purchased the Crumb Quarry (1907) and the Newall Quarry (1919). The purchase of the Klondike Quarry (formally Gourlay Granite Works) soon followed giving Sullivan Granite Co. about 700 acres of land. Using modern equipment, my grandfather quarried the best fine-grained blue-white granite anywhere around. When my grandfather first came to Bradford, men would take the train from Westerly to Bradford, walk a little over a mile to get to the quarry, and walk back after a long day of work. The stone was rough cut to approximate size and then shipped by rail to the artisans who turned this beautiful stone into elaborate monuments that can be found across the United States, Europe, the Hawaiian Islands and as far away as South Africa. John F. Sullivan, my father, began working for Sullivan Granite in 1932 as a salesman in Boston until he was drafted in 1940. The company supported the war effort by supplying crushed stone for roads and runways. Upon his discharge in 1946, my father returned to the company and became the superintendent of Sullivan Granite Co. as well as starting Bed Rock Kennels. My grandfather retired as president in February 1952 after 45 years in the granite industry and my father became the president. The granite industry had already begun its decline. Sadly, Sullivan Granite was sold at public auction in November 1956. Bottinelli Monumental Company of Waterford, CT purchased the main quarry property, while Harold Slosberg of United Builders Supply of Westerly and Reuben Grossman of Quincy, MA purchased the tracts of land. Today the quarry is owned by Richard Comolli and he continues to harvest some of this beautiful blue-white stone that is on the property, and the pollywogs still swim in the small quarry hole. Susan Sullivan Brocato Susan Sullivan Brocato Susan Sullivan Brocato Susan Sullivan Brocato Susan Sullivan Brocato John B. Coduri Stone Chips On dust: “All the dust they made they either breathed it in or it was in the air. When the sun shines, you could cut it with a knife — that’s how thick that dust used to be.” “Most of them used to have little sponges. They’d wet the sponge and stick it in their nose. Every once in a while they’d take the sponges and wash them out and stick them back.” Arthur Ferraro in an interview in 1984 Aerial view of the Sullivan Granite Company circa 1947. Far left, above: Convention display featuring products of the Sullivan Granite Company Far left: John B. Sullivan Quarry, Plant No. 7 of the Sullivan Granite Company, which housed the machine shop, the boiler house, the air compressor house and the saw building circa 1941. Left: Sullivan Granite Company office 1941 In January 1932 the headline in The Westerly Sun read “Largest Stone Ever Shipped by Rail from Westerly.” Sullivan Granite Company lifted a 65-ton stone, believed to be the largest ever shipped by rail in this country, from the deepest section of their quarry. In eight minutes a mammoth derrick hoisted the 119,000 lb. stone (400 lbs. shy of 60 tons after it was rough cut to size) onto a rail bed to be shipped to Barre, VT to be cut. A second rail car carried more stone to complete a monolith monument. The finished size of the monolith was 7'-3" at the bottom, 5' thick and 16'-6" high. Documented Granite Workers Coming Next Week Granite Flowers Flourish in Cemetery Share your stories, photos and artifacts. Earlier volumes of “Built From Stone” are now on the museum’s website; www.babcocksmithhouse.org. Please call us at 401-377-8490 or 401-322-0452 or e-mail us at [email protected]. Patton, William J. Patton, William Paulena, John Pauleria. Angelo Pausch, Edward L. Payne, John Pearce, William Peckham, Arthur Peckham, Stephen R. Peckham, William Peduzzi, John Peduzzi, P. D. Pellette, William Pellette, William P. Pellett, LeRoy Pellegrino, Domenico Pendleton, William Pengally, Agnes A., Miss Percy, Joseph Percy, Nathan Perlatti, Angelo Perlatti, Antoni Perlatti, J. D. Perletti, D. Perrone, Natale Peterson, Fred Peterson, G. Peterson, Martin Peterson, Peter Phillips, John Piccolo, Achille Pierce, A. R. Pierce, Adrid Pierce, Fred L. (coming)
Transcript of Sullivan Granite Company - Babcock-Smith House · Babcock-Smith House Museum Sullivan Granite...
Volume
38 of 52
United Builders Supply Co. Inc.
401-596-2831unitedbuilderssupply.com
Babcock-SmithHouse Museum
Sullivan Granite Company
Sullivan Granite Company was across the street fromwhere I grew up and, as a young girl, I went with myfather and grandfather to watch large stones beingremoved from the quarry holes. My sister and I wereoften told to stay away from the quarry unless we werewith an adult because the holes were way more than 200feet deep, but to a child the warning was an openinvitation to go exploring and we did. I particularly lovedcollecting pollywogs for science class from one of thesmall holes.
When this granite project began, I started lookingthrough the scrapbooks and photo albums which containa wealth of information enabling me to share some ofthe history of Sullivan Granite Co. with you.
Sullivan Granite Co. spanned three generations. John B.Sullivan, the founder and my great grandfather, startedthe business with a retail monument shop in Taunton,MA during the later part of the 1800’s.
In May 1907 my grandfather, Frank A. Sullivan, movedto Westerly and purchased the Crumb Quarry (1907) andthe Newall Quarry (1919). The purchase of the KlondikeQuarry (formally Gourlay Granite Works) soon followedgiving Sullivan Granite Co. about 700 acres of land. Usingmodern equipment, my grandfather quarried the best fine-grainedblue-white granite anywhere around.
When my grandfather first came toBradford, men would take the train fromWesterly to Bradford, walk a little over a mileto get to the quarry, and walk back after along day of work.
The stone was rough cut to approximate sizeand then shipped by rail to the artisans whoturned this beautiful stone into elaboratemonuments that can be found across theUnited States, Europe, the Hawaiian Islandsand as far away as South Africa.
John F. Sullivan, my father, began working for Sullivan Granite in1932 as a salesman in Boston until he was drafted in 1940. Thecompany supported the war effort by supplying crushed stone forroads and runways. Upon his discharge in 1946, my father returnedto the company and became the superintendent of Sullivan GraniteCo. as well as starting Bed Rock Kennels.
My grandfather retired as president in February 1952 after 45 yearsin the granite industry and my father became the president. Thegranite industry had already begun its decline. Sadly, Sullivan Granitewas sold at public auction in November 1956. Bottinelli MonumentalCompany of Waterford, CT purchased the main quarry property,while Harold Slosberg of United Builders Supply of Westerly andReuben Grossman of Quincy, MA purchased the tracts of land. Todaythe quarry is owned by Richard Comolli and he continues to harvest
some of this beautiful blue-white stone that is onthe property, and the pollywogs still swim in thesmall quarry hole.Susan Sullivan Brocato
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Stone Chips
On dust: “All the dust they made they either breathed it in or it was in the air.When the sun shines, you could cut it with a knife — that’s how thick that dustused to be.” “Most of them used to have little sponges. They’d wet the spongeand stick it in their nose. Every once in a while they’d take the sponges andwash them out and stick them back.”Arthur Ferraro in an interview in 1984
Aerial view of the Sullivan Granite Company circa 1947.
Far left, above: Convention display featuring products of the SullivanGranite Company
Far left: John B. Sullivan Quarry, Plant No. 7 of the Sullivan GraniteCompany, which housed the machine shop, the boiler house, the aircompressor house and the saw building circa 1941.
Left: Sullivan Granite Company office 1941
In January 1932 the headline in The Westerly Sun read “Largest Stone Ever Shipped by Rail fromWesterly.”
Sullivan Granite Company lifted a 65-ton stone, believed to be the largest ever shipped by rail inthis country, from the deepest section of their quarry. In eight minutes a mammoth derrick hoistedthe 119,000 lb. stone (400 lbs. shy of 60 tons after it was rough cut to size) onto a rail bed to beshipped to Barre, VT to be cut. A second rail car carried more stone to complete a monolithmonument. The finished size of the monolith was 7'-3" at the bottom, 5' thick and 16'-6" high.
Documented Granite Workers
Coming
Next Week
Granite Flowers Flourishin Cemetery
Share your stories, photos and artifacts. Earlier volumes of“Built From Stone” are now on the museum’s website;www.babcocksmithhouse.org.
Please call us at 401-377-8490 or 401-322-0452 or e-mail usat [email protected].
Patton, William J.
Patton, William
Paulena, John
Pauleria. Angelo
Pausch, Edward L.
Payne, John
Pearce, William
Peckham, Arthur
Peckham, Stephen R.
Peckham, William
Peduzzi, John
Peduzzi, P. D.
Pellette, William
Pellette, William P.
Pellett, LeRoy
Pellegrino, Domenico
Pendleton, William
Pengally, Agnes A.,Miss
Percy, Joseph
Percy, Nathan
Perlatti, Angelo
Perlatti, Antoni
Perlatti, J. D.
Perletti, D.
Perrone, Natale
Peterson, Fred
Peterson, G.
Peterson, Martin
Peterson, Peter
Phillips, John
Piccolo, Achille
Pierce, A. R.
Pierce, Adrid
Pierce, Fred L.
(coming)
