Mount Waldo
Encyclopedia
Mount Waldo is a small mountain
about 1500 feet (457.2 m) high in Waldo County
, Maine
located near the town of Frankfort
.
Mt. Waldo granite
was once the stock in trade of a thriving industry. The Mount Waldo Granite has a coarse-grained texture which gives it a more patchy, mottled look than the finer-grained granites. Although granite is no longer quarried here, it can still be seen in buildings in many eastern cities, such as New York
, Washington, D.C.
, and Philadelphia.
The combination of bare rock ledges and proximity to tidewater made this granite amenable to quarrying in the early 19th century. The two significant quarries in the Mount Waldo Granite in the 19th century were on the northeast flank of Mount Waldo itself, and near the top of Mosquito Mountain. According to a description of the operations from the early 20th century, the quarried stone was taken over graded tracks, operated by gravity, to cutting sheds and wharfs on Marsh River. From there it was taken on the Penobscot River and distributed to eastern ports in Massachusetts, New York, and Philadelphia, and to "western" cities of Chicago
, Milwaukee
, and Cleveland
. The granite from Mt. Waldo was used for structures such as the Washington Monument
, the U.S. Senate Office Building
, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
, the United Nations Building, the Philadelphia Mint
, the Empire State Building
, and several piers that support the Brooklyn Bridge
The quarry was on the north spur of Mount Waldo, 660 feet (201.2 m) above sea level, one-third mile southwest of the town of Frankfort. The operator of the quarry was the Mount Waldo Granite Works of Frankfort. Granite from the quarry was reportedly a medium gray color. Transport of the granite was by two graded tracks, each 1200 feet (365.8 m) long, operated by gravity from the quarry part way down the hill to the power house, thence by a cable road (Roebling engine) 1¼ miles to the wharf, which is accessible to schooners at 15 feet (4.6 m) draft. The quarry located at Mt. Waldo has been unused since 1914.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
about 1500 feet (457.2 m) high in Waldo County
Waldo County, Maine
Waldo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 38,786. Its county seat is Belfast.Waldo County was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
located near the town of Frankfort
Frankfort, Maine
Frankfort is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,041 at the 2000 census.-History:Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot River, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall...
.
Mt. Waldo 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...
was once the stock in trade of a thriving industry. The Mount Waldo Granite has a coarse-grained texture which gives it a more patchy, mottled look than the finer-grained granites. Although granite is no longer quarried here, it can still be seen in buildings in many eastern cities, such as New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Philadelphia.
The combination of bare rock ledges and proximity to tidewater made this granite amenable to quarrying in the early 19th century. The two significant quarries in the Mount Waldo Granite in the 19th century were on the northeast flank of Mount Waldo itself, and near the top of Mosquito Mountain. According to a description of the operations from the early 20th century, the quarried stone was taken over graded tracks, operated by gravity, to cutting sheds and wharfs on Marsh River. From there it was taken on the Penobscot River and distributed to eastern ports in Massachusetts, New York, and Philadelphia, and to "western" cities of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, and Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. The granite from Mt. Waldo was used for structures such as the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
, the U.S. Senate Office Building
Russell Senate Office Building
The Russell Senate Office Building is the oldest of the United States Senate office buildings. Designed in the Beaux-Arts architectural style, it was built from 1903 to 1908, opened in 1909, and named for former Senator Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. of Georgia in 1972...
, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier refers to a grave in which the unidentifiable remains of a soldier are interred. Such tombs can be found in many nations and are usually high-profile national monuments. Throughout history, many soldiers have died in wars without their remains being identified...
, the United Nations Building, the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint
The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of...
, the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, and several piers that support the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
The quarry was on the north spur of Mount Waldo, 660 feet (201.2 m) above sea level, one-third mile southwest of the town of Frankfort. The operator of the quarry was the Mount Waldo Granite Works of Frankfort. Granite from the quarry was reportedly a medium gray color. Transport of the granite was by two graded tracks, each 1200 feet (365.8 m) long, operated by gravity from the quarry part way down the hill to the power house, thence by a cable road (Roebling engine) 1¼ miles to the wharf, which is accessible to schooners at 15 feet (4.6 m) draft. The quarry located at Mt. Waldo has been unused since 1914.