Milford granite (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Milford granite is a Proterozoic
igneous rock
located in and around the town of Milford, Massachusetts
, covering an area of approximately 100 sq km, as mapped by the USGS
. It is described as a light-gray to pale orange-pink biotite
granite
. The biotite is typically in clots or short streaks. It is commonly locally gneiss
ic.
During the period from 1870 to 1940, the town of Milford became famous for the "pink" variety of this stone, prized as a building material. According to local legend, "Milford Pink" was "discovered" in the early 1870s by two brothers, James and William Sherman at Rocky Woods in Milford
.
At its peak, over 1,000 men labored in dozens of quarries in Milford and nearby Hopkinton
. Notable examples of buildings constructed from Milford pink granite include the Boston Public Library
, Worcester City Hall
.
Today, Milford pink granite is still quarried by the Fletcher Granite Company, at their Lumber Street quarry in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
.
Proterozoic
The Proterozoic is a geological eon representing a period before the first abundant complex life on Earth. The name Proterozoic comes from the Greek "earlier life"...
igneous rock
Igneous rock
Igneous rock is one of the three main rock types, the others being sedimentary and metamorphic rock. Igneous rock is formed through the cooling and solidification of magma or lava...
located in and around the town of Milford, Massachusetts
Milford, Massachusetts
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
, covering an area of approximately 100 sq km, as mapped by the USGS
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
. It is described as a light-gray to pale orange-pink biotite
Biotite
Biotite is a common phyllosilicate mineral within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . More generally, it refers to the dark mica series, primarily a solid-solution series between the iron-endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more aluminous endmembers...
granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
. The biotite is typically in clots or short streaks. It is commonly locally gneiss
Gneiss
Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from pre-existing formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks.-Etymology:...
ic.
During the period from 1870 to 1940, the town of Milford became famous for the "pink" variety of this stone, prized as a building material. According to local legend, "Milford Pink" was "discovered" in the early 1870s by two brothers, James and William Sherman at Rocky Woods in Milford
Milford, Massachusetts
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
.
At its peak, over 1,000 men labored in dozens of quarries in Milford and nearby Hopkinton
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
. Notable examples of buildings constructed from Milford pink granite include the Boston Public Library
Boston Public Library, McKim Building
The Boston Public Library McKim Building in Copley Square contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms and administrative offices...
, Worcester City Hall
Worcester City Hall and Common
Main Street facade|thumbnail|left|150pxWorcester City Hall and Common is a historic city hall and town common at 455 Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.The Common, established in 1669, originally encompassed about of land compared to its at present...
.
Today, Milford pink granite is still quarried by the Fletcher Granite Company, at their Lumber Street quarry in Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton, Massachusetts
Hopkinton is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, just under 30 miles west and south of Boston. The town is best known as the starting point of the Boston Marathon, held annually on Patriots' Day in April, and as the home of computer storage firm EMC Corporation.For geographic and demographic...
.
Examples of use
- Memorial Hall (Milford, Massachusetts)Memorial Hall (Milford, Massachusetts)Memorial Hall is an historic hall located at 30 School Street in Milford, Massachusetts. It was built as a Civil War tribute.Designed by Milford architect Frederick Swasey in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, the hall was built in 1884 from local Milford granite and Longmeadow brownstone. The...
(1884) - Town Hall, Hopedale, MassachusettsHopedale, MassachusettsHopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hopedale, please see the article Hopedale , Massachusetts....
(1886) - Flour and Grain Exchange Building, aka Boston Chamber of Commerce, Boston (1892)
- Bancroft Memorial LibraryBancroft Memorial LibraryBancroft Memorial Library is a historic library at 50 Hopedale Street in Hopedale, Massachusetts.The library was donated to the town in 1898 by Joseph Bubier Bancroft, in memory of his wife Sylvia. Bancroft was an executive with the Draper Company, the Town's principal industry. The building was...
, Hopedale, MassachusettsHopedale, MassachusettsHopedale is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,911 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hopedale, please see the article Hopedale , Massachusetts....
(1898) - Boston Public Library, McKim BuildingBoston Public Library, McKim BuildingThe Boston Public Library McKim Building in Copley Square contains the library's research collection, exhibition rooms and administrative offices...
, Boston, Massachusetts (1895) - Main Post OfficeJames Farley Post OfficeThe James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
, New York, New York (1912)