Quincy, Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey

366 Centre Street (S. H. Barnicoat Granite Works)

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
The Southwest Quincy neighborhood is bounded by the Southeast Expressway (west), Copeland-Common-Tinson-Suomi-Quarry-Granite (north), the MBTA tracks (east), and the Braintree Town Line (south). Southwest Quincy is similar to West Quincy as it was also the result of the phenomenal expansion of the granite industry which began in the early 19th century. Fueled by the first commercial railway (1826) and new techniques in quarrying stone, growth accelerated well into the 1900's. The late 1860's saw new techniques in polishing stone, which in turn spurred the growth of Southwest Quincy's granite working, polishing, and tool and machine shops. To meet the demands of the industry, the worker population grew and new immigrants, mainly from Sweden, Finland, Scotland and Italy, settled in the newly subdivided Bass Common and Captain's Plains with the Scandinavian node of settlement located at Brewer's Corners. Earlier important industries in Southwest Quincy centered around the grist mill (1640-1825) and Wilson Marsh's coach lace business which operated from 1797 to 1837.

The well-known S. H. Barnicoat Granite Works was constructed in the 1890's and after Barnicoat's death in 1898 was reorganized as the Columbia Granite Co. In 1909 the works was purchased by John McQueen and Richard Gordon who continued to operate the primarily monument producing business under the Columbia Granite Co. name. The present owners, the Hancock Monument Co., have been on the premises for at least forty years.

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
H. Hobart Holly. "Brewer's Corner Formed by Granite Industry". Quincy History, Spring, 1982.
H. Hobart Holly. "Quincy's Granite Hills Were Golden". Quincy History, Spring, 1980.
Walter O. Nisula. "Granite Drew the Finnish to Quincy". Quincy History, Spring, 1984.
Peter Stott. A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Eastern Massachusetts, forthcoming, 1987 .

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The former S. H. Barnicoat Granite Works is one of the few late 19th century granite sheds and derricks to not only survive but to be in active use in Quincy. Centre Street and its side streets used to be lined with these polygonally formed sheds with openings arranged to face a central derrick. Over ninety feet tall and stabilized by six two-inch thick guide wires, the derrick at the present Hancock Monument Co. is used to handle the granite to be cut, dressed, and stored. The interior of the granite shed is of great interest to the industrial archaeologist: while the shop uses modern heavy-duty motors and carbide tools, much of the original technology exists. Of particular interest is the blacksmith's station. Before the days of carbide tools. one blacksmith serviced about 6 sheds a day, keeping them all in sharp granite-cutting tools. Of further interest are the giants pulleys and rollers to handle the granite, the "sand-blast" room where the granite is incised, and the giant suction hoses at every station to carry away the harmful granite dust.

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