Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-06-26
MAINE GRANITE.
1t is Now Much in Demand in Chi
cago.
Work of the Late Governor BodweII
and John Peirce.

The Chicago Chronicle of recent date
had the following concerning the intro
duction of Maine granite in the Great
West: Within the last decade there
has been steady and very marked in
crease in the use of granite in the cree
ton of the great buildings of this city.
a noticeable feature in the demand for.
this material is that only the best is
desired and consequently much the
greater part of the granite used in
Chicago has come from the uuarries
owned and operated by the BodweIl
and HalloWell companies and John
PIERCE.
In 1882 the late Gov. Bodwell, one
Of the pioneers in the granite business.
believing that the city of Chicago af-
forded a large market for this ma
terial, opened an Office in the city and
placed in charge his nephew, George F..
BodWell, practical man in the bust
ness. Mr.. Bodwell represented the in
terestS of both the Hallowell Granite
Works and the Bodwell Granite Co,
the former being the owner and opera
tor OF the celebrated Hallowell white
granite quarries, while the latter
operated several quarries of dark
gray granite, and also the red or rose
colored Jonesboro granite all Of which
are quarlied in the state of Maine.
The first building to be built entirely,
or nearly SO, of granite was the Chi
cago BOARD of Trade building which
was contracted for in Fox island gran
lite. Architects and owners were not
long in finding that granite was Il prac-
teal building material for the best
structures which were then being de-
signed and built in this city and from
that time up to the present many Of
the finest office buildings and resi-
dcnccs have been built of this material
and while the abovc-namcd companies
have placed material from each of their
several quarries in different buildings
in this city, the HalloWcll white gran
lite, on account of its fine grain and
purity Of color, is more widely known
ana more generally used than any
other granite. From 1882 up to the
present time they have placed their
different GRANTEES in over 50 different
prominent buildings in the city of
Chicago, besides in several other build
ingS in adjoining cities, aggrcgating
over a million cubic feet of material at
Il cost of over $4000,000.
Just previous to the worlds fair Mr..
John Peirce who for several years had
been engaged in the granite business in
New York city, became Interested not
only in the Hallowell and BodWcll
quarries, but in several other ones in
the different New England states. OF
the prominent buildings built in recent
years in which the HaIlowcIl granite
has hpen nl1cpI under the
with Mr.. Peircc are the Illinois Trust
and Savings bank, Merchants Loan
and Trust building and Marshall
Fields new store on State street.
The new federal building in this city
is being built Of the Mount Waldo
granite which is of the same texture
and color as the HalloWell. This gran
tie was also used for the Milwaukee
government building, which was com
pleted i'm 1896. Mr.. PIERCE has now some
2,00O,O0O worth of granite and build
ing work under contract which includes
the new dry dock at Portsmouth, r..
H.; hall of records, New York city;
new custom house. New York city;
Rapid Transit power house, New York
city: new federal building, Indianapo-
lis, Ind. besides several other minor
buildings. With the exception of the
new federal building, Indianapolis
Ind. (Which is to be built of both gran
tie and Indiana limcstonc), all Of the
other structures are entirely of white
granite.
Under contract with the George A..
Fuller company, entered into the first
of last year. Mr.. PIERCE furnished the
granite for the II. G. Frick building.
Pittsburg. Pa. This building contained
some hundred and sixty thousand cubic
feet of material. Plans We're received
from the architect on the first Of March
and on the second day of December tn"
| last stone was set in the building.
Twelve stories of this work, in the
months of September and October,
| were set at the rate of two stories in
| less than a week. The time in whic Il
the granite was furnished for this
building was a record-breaker in the
granite industry.