Redstone Granite Quarry, New Hampshire – The Redstone Granite Quarry is an abandoned quarry at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain in Redstone, New Hampshire (part of the town of Conway). The quarry opened in the late eighteen hundreds, closed in the nineteen forties and at one time employed over three hundred men. The history of the quarry has been well documented, so I will show you the actual quarry site.
The village of Redstone was originally a company town built by the Maine and New Hampshire Granite Co. It had a church, boarding house, housing for employees, post office, railroad station, school, and numerous other buildings. The green and pink granite harvested from the Redstone Quarry can still be found in buildings and monuments throughout New England and beyond.
Today, the quarry site is abandoned, but locals, hikers, travelers and historians interested in the history of the area visit the site regularly. It is littered with rundown buildings, interesting quarry machinery, piles of granite blocks, and wooden derricks that are still standing.
What is interesting about the Redstone Quarry site is the buildings, and some of the machinery appears to be in the same location it was in seventy plus years ago when the quarry was operational. And this allows us to envision the actual layout of the quarry when we explore it today. I have always wondered if the old derrick cables in the above image have been in the same place all these years.
When I photograph the grounds of the Redstone Quarry, I try to compare the life of quarry workers to that of the nineteenth-century farmers that worked the New Hampshire hillsides. Though very different occupations, both groups have three common traits. They worked the lands of New Hampshire, lived very hard lives, and their communities became nonexistent at some point and are now part of New Hampshire history.
This granite quarry is one of the best preserved historical sites I have documented in New Hampshire. It is a wonderful place to explore. And in its current state, it helps promote the importance of historic preservation.
All of the above photos can be licensed for publications by clicking on the photo you are interested in. And you can see more scenes of the Redstone Granite Quarry here.
Happy image making..
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Owner of ScenicNH Photography LLC
Erin Paul is a professional photographer, writer, and author who specializes in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the New Hampshire White Mountains. His work is published worldwide, and publication credits include: Appalachian Mountain Club, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Backpacker Magazine, and The Wilderness Society.
Thank you for sharing these photos. Wouldn't it be good if someone would make this into an historical site and preserve all the equipment ! A lot of history here.
Hi Diane,
It would be wonderful if all the equipment was preserved. It’s a great site to explore!
Hello. About how far of a walk until you hit the quarry? Do you cross the train tracks? Thank you
Hi Robert,
Yes, if parking near Walmart, you cross the tracks. And it is about a 20 minute +/- walk to the quarry. Time depends on how fast of a hiker you are.
How many rooms does Schooner have? The boarding house.
Hi Matthew,
I don’t know many rooms the Schooner had, but a few write-ups say that it housed 80 men. It was a good size building.
Hope this helps
Do you happen to have a recommended place to park near a trailhead to get to the quarry? I would love to check it out soon since it is less than an hour from me! Awesome pics by the way!!!
Hi Damen,
Thank you for the comment regarding my work. People park at the end of Hemlock Lane, which is between Walmart and the Bike Shop (and some park at Walmart). See the included map.
See the map: https://bit.ly/3iXG4vh
Hopes this helps
Hi David-
Great story you've shared! I work in Redstone. As a matter of fact, the trail at the cul-de-sac leads right up to the quarries. Spectacular place! I can also look to see if that school house still exists. There is one small building very near, in not sure what it was used for. Still standing and in decent shape.
Mr. Donovan:
Your photos of the Redstone Granite Quarry bring back wonderful memories. I'm 82 now, but I lived in Redstone in the early 1940's. I attended school in a 2-room school house, only one room was used, with one teacher for grades 1 through 8.
I spent many happy hours exploring that olg quarry. never knew my maternal grandfather who was brought over from Scotland as a stone finisher. He died quite young from what was then call consumption, no doubt caused from breathing the dust from grinding granite.
If you're ever in Redstone, and that little school as still there,.you could snap me picture or two and e-mail them to me.
Thanks again,
Dave Calef, Anaheim, CA,
Hi David,
Thank you for sharing your memories of Redstone Granite Quarry with me. The quarry must have been an interesting place when you were growing up. Machinery can still be found in the quarry today, and I really enjoy exporing the area.
I will see if can find the little school the next time I am at Redstone.
Enjoy your night
Erin Paul Donovan