A recent agreement with the owner of a Rhode Island quarry means a steady, consistent supply of this historic and high-quality granite for many years to come.
There are certain domestic stones held in high regard by landscapers, builders and architects. Indiana limestone for carved and trim pieces in buildings. Connecticut fieldstone for walls and veneers. Bluestone from Pennsylvania and New York for walkways and patios. And granite from Westerly, Rhode Island.
It was 1845 when a Connecticut stonemason discovered an outcropping of granite over the border in Westerly, Rhode Island. He began working the vein and in short order sowed the seeds of a vibrant mining industry with a national reputation. Westerly granite in its different hues found its way into monuments to memorialize Civil War dead, into monuments throughout the five boroughs of New York City, in the capitol building in Hartford, the Congressional Library in Washington, the National Soldiers’ Monument in Gettysburg and in mausoleums memorializing the grand deceased.
Granite from Westerly tends to any of four distinct shades – blue, grey, red, pink – but its most famous is “Westerly pink,” a very hard but workable stone whose minerals cast a soft, speckled grey-pink tone. Once a favorite for sculptors and monument makers, it’s most commonly used today in landscaping and buildings veneers.
Thanks to a recent agreement with the quarry owner, Westerly granite has become a staple offering of the company’s Masonry Division. “We’re in a great position to act as a sales and marketing agent for Westerly granite,” says O&G Vice President Kara Oneglia, enthused over the new ability to supply large amounts of the stone.
“It’s an elegant architectural and building stone that we can offer through our seven mason yards and Showrooms.” Westerly granite is available in a number of products, from architecturally driven stone to thin stone and full bed veneer, for local architects, masons, and contractors. Additionally, the high-quality granite aggregate produced at the quarries is ASTM compliant and approved by Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Jersey DOTs. According to Assistant Vice President Bob Rizzo, “We offer not just a beautiful granite with a rich history but we have a consistently high-quality supply of it for architects, masons, and contractors who can count on our Westerly granite being available for many years to come. Knowing they can match the stone perfectly if they have additions and alterations years down the road is a significant benefit.”
