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St. George Quarries
The St. George Granite quarries are found in Late Silurian to Early Devonian rocks near Lake Utopia.The quarries were opened in 1872 and on July 14 the first shipment of red granite taken from the new quarry arrived in Saint John. In Saint John buildings constructed after the Great Fire of 1877 used granite to create decorative elements such as pillars around doors and windows. Red and black ‘granite’ was available to architects designing buildings to replace those destroyed in the fire. The high quality granite from the Lake Utopia area made it highly desirable as building stone. There were over a hundred quarry openings in the area with shipments of granite leaving by sea and by rail. Stone from New Brunswick was shipped to customers all over the United States and Canada and appears in well renowned buildings and monuments. The shiny red granite columns seen on stone buildings in Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, and Bathurst are also from the St. George quarries and polishing operations.
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St. Croix Courier - Mar. 9, 1871 Good for St. George.- It is rumoured that some New Yorkers are going to St. George to open a Granite quarry.
St. Croix Courier - Mar. 30, 1871 Granite Quarry at St. George.- The company recently referred to in this paper, as organized for the purpose of opening and working a granite quarry at St. George, is composed of gentlemen belonging to St. John. The granite is very fine, of a reddish color, and is well suited for ornamental purposes.
Daily Telegraph - Apr. 17, 1871 New Granite and Sandstone Quarries. - An enormous mass of red granite, suitable for building purposes, has been discovered on the Magaguadavic village, two and a half miles from St. George. It rises to a considerable height, and extends for some distance. Large masses of it have been detached from its bed by the action of natural agencies, and the expense of quarrying is reduced to the least possible amount. It is owned by parties in this city.
S.J. Daily Telegraph - Jul. 15, 1872 Red Granite. - The schooner N.J. Glass which arrived from St. George yesterday afternoon brought the first shipment of red granite that has been taken from the new quarry at St. George. It comes to Mr. Peter Cormick and is a valuable article for ornamental work on buildings, monumental, etc."