Granite has been a main source of income for Westford. Granite is an igneous rock, a type of rock that has been formed out of magma. We can see granite in our mailboxes, benches, and splattered in our cobblestone streets. Granite has been used to create monuments such as obelisks, the creation of which is a tedious task, as a single mistake ruins the entire obelisk.
Granite quarried in Westford has even been found as widespread as Boston. The job was a dangerous one, with perilous falls, and the health risk that came with granite dust being ingested into the lungs or eyes. Granite was cut through the process of shims being hammered into the granite and wedging pieces of it apart. Different types of granite are named after the regions and towns they were quarried in.
For example Chelmsford Granite was quarried in Westford, however it was named after Chelmsford since Westford had yet to become a town of its own. The granite quarrying process and distribution played an important part in the construction of Westford, as it not only provided an income to the town, but the strong material is used within many of the town’s houses.
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Click here to download coloing page
Browse (Click on the links)
History of the Westford Quarries here
National Geographic-Quarries
What is Quarrying?