Quarry, Newfoundland and Labrador
Encyclopedia
Quarry is an abandoned railway community that was located in the Gaff Topsails area of the province of Newfoundland
, Canada
. The community lies just north of Buchans
and takes its name from the quarry
established in the 1890's when the Newfoundland Railway
was being built.
Granite
from this quarry was used throughout the island by the Reid Newfoundland Company
and it also provided cobblestones
for Water Street
in St. John's
. The nearest community was Millertown Junction, 25 kilometres to the east. It became an important station as the area just west of Quarry was renowned for its frequently closing of the railway due to heavy snow drifts, an area known as the Gaff Topsails. The station was reclassified as unmanned by Canadian National in 1954.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The community lies just north of Buchans
Buchans, Newfoundland and Labrador
Buchans is a Canadian town located in the central part of the island of Newfoundland in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is situated on the northwest shore of Red Indian Lake on the Buchans River....
and takes its name from the quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
established in the 1890's when the Newfoundland Railway
Newfoundland Railway
The Newfoundland Railway was a railway which operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow gauge railway system in North America.-Early construction:...
was being built.
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...
from this quarry was used throughout the island by the Reid Newfoundland Company
Reid Newfoundland Company
The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated in September 1901 and was the operator of the Newfoundland Railway across the island from 1901 to 1923. For a time it was the largest landowner in the country. The company was founded by Sir Robert Gillespie Reid of Scotland, a businessman who had...
and it also provided cobblestones
Cobblestone
Cobblestones are stones that were frequently used in the pavement of early streets. "Cobblestone" is derived from the very old English word "cob", which had a wide range of meanings, one of which was "rounded lump" with overtones of large size...
for Water Street
Water Street, St. John's
Water Street is located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was developed in the early 16th century, and is the oldest street in North America. It became a commercial trading outpost for the Basques, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English...
in St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
. The nearest community was Millertown Junction, 25 kilometres to the east. It became an important station as the area just west of Quarry was renowned for its frequently closing of the railway due to heavy snow drifts, an area known as the Gaff Topsails. The station was reclassified as unmanned by Canadian National in 1954.