As the construction of Interstate 95 made its way through Maine in the early 1970s, different areas were quarried for materials. To save on transportation and hauling costs Twitchell Corner was quarried for its sandstone as the interstate was laid through Waldo County. The sandstone was crushed on site and used as a base layer in road construction. The primary types of rock evident at Twitchell Corner include sandstone, shale, and quartz. Sandstone and shale are sedimentary rocks which formed over time and where layered by directed pressure.
Sandstone has much larger particles than does shale.
This attribute ultimately affects the cleavage and layering of the rocks and in turn, what they are used for. At Twitchell Corner, quartz veins are present which intruded through the layers prior to the major folding event that took place. This can be identified by the way the quartz pockets appear with the sandstone and shale layers. Folding Metamorphic rocks are formed under intense pressure and temperature. The high temperature allows the rock to flow while directed pressure flattens and folds the rock.