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Miramichi Sandstone
In the 1800s there was a boom in stone working in New Brunswick at a time when many public buildings, private residences, jails, and churches were built. New Brunswick stone was also used in New England. During this period there were many quarries in New Brunswick from three geologic zones where granite, sandstone and marble are found. St. George was once the province’s granite centre, with over 50 quarries open by the 1940s. Many sandstone quarries were located in southeast New Brunswick and north along the Bay of Chaleur. Near Miramichi, sandstone quarries operated at places like Quarryville and French Fort Cove. In eastern New Brunswick Albert and Westmorland counties were dotted with sandstone quarries. Communities at Boudreau, Mary’s Point, Memel, Caledonia, and Curryville were all well known for their dimension stone products. In Saint John, after the Great Fire of 1877, these quarries were used to rebuild the Uptown commercial and residential district. Many of the buildings are still standing. Unfortunately, the industry declined dramatically during the early 1900s with the introduction of concrete and steel construction.
