Guide to the Granite Industry collection , 1870-1955

Westerly Public Library
Local History and Special Collections
44 Broad Street
Westerly, RI 02891
Tel: 401-596-2877
E-mail: nwright@westerlylibrary.org

Published in 2009

Collection Overview

Title:	Granite Industry collection
Date range:	1870-1955
Creator:	George Ledward & Co., New England Granite Works, Quarry Workers’ International Union
Extent:	26 linear feet
Abstract:	The Granite Industry collection is comprised of business records of the George Ledward & Company and the New England Granite Works, two Westerly, R.I. granite companies. In addition the collection contains records from the Quarry Workers’ International Union.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	Westerly Public Library
Collection number:	Ms. GR01

Scope & content

The ledgers portion of the collection consists of the record books of two of Westerly's granite companies. The George Ledward & Company collection is comprised of seven books, each named on the binding according to its purpose: Cash, Journal, Ledger, Letters, Orders, Piece Work, and Time Book. The Orders book contains sketches of the pieces the company was commissioned to design. These books provide records for the years 1870-1876, with 1874 being the predominant year for which records exist. The New England Granite Works collection is made up of 13 large leather bound books labeled Orders. These books span the years from 1873-1924 and each entry contains the location where the monument would be displayed and a sketch of the work.

The third part of the granite industry collection includes the records for the Quarry Workers' International Union. There are both day books used by financial officers and shop stewards of union branches, and record books used by the union's financial secretary. The day books contain monthly entries of dues payment by union members. They cover the years from 1914-1930. The financial secretary's records are of two types. One set of three books includes union meeting minutes and accounts of the local union's finances, covering 1920-1955. The second type includes union member records, listing individual names, membership dates, and a record of dues payments, for the period 1908-1925.

Access Points

Subject Topics

• Business

Arrangement

The Westerly Granite Collection consists of three series: the records of George Ledward & Co., the order records of New England Granite Works, and the books of the Quarry Workers' International Union, Westerly branch.

• Series 1. George Ledward & Co. contains seven books of company records, all covering approximately the same time frame. Therefore, they are arranged alphabetically by the title on the spine of the book. Each is housed in a separate box.
• Series 2. New England Granite Works is made up of 13 volumes of order books, arranged chronologically. Each one is contained in a separate box.
• Series 3. Quarry Workers’ International Union collection consists of two types of record books: a day book for use by financial officers of union branches and shop stewards, and financial secretary’s records. The day books have monthly entries regarding union dues, and cover the years from 1914-1930. The financial secretary’s records are of two types. One set of three books includes minutes of union meetings and accounting of the local union’s finances. They cover the years 1920-1955. The second type has records on union members—their names, when they joined, and a record of dues payments, and covers the years 1908-1925.

Historical note

In 1846, Orlando Smith, a stonemason, was searching for stone material and discovered a granite outcrop near the present intersection of Granite and Tower streets in Westerly, Rhode Island. This became the site of the Smith Quarry, the first in the area, with many more opening over the next 20 years. During the industry's early years, Westerly quarries produced basic items such as curbing, paving stones, and blocks for building foundations.

The granite industry in Westerly began to boom in the 1860's, due to the high quality of local granite, a social trend toward ornate gravestones, and demand for monuments to commemorate the Civil War. It was necessary to have tradespeople of advanced skill to perform the fine cutting and carving required for these monuments. This led to the growth of the local industry as granite cutters, designers, sculptors, and draftsmen moved to Westerly from Europe and other granite areas in the United States. Demand grew even more with a rule established in 1887 by the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial Association that only granite and bronze could be used in war memorials.

Westerly granite was utilized in numerous monuments all over the United States. Some of the most famous are the Soldiers' National Monument in Gettysburg, for which Westerly granite was used in the base of the monument. Westerly granite is used in more monuments at Gettysburg than any other source of granite, with the exception of the Quincy, Massachusetts company of Frederick & Field. The central monument in the Antietam National Cemetery, a large statue of a soldier, is another example of Westerly granite.

After 1910, the granite industry experienced a decline in business, for several reasons. As time went on, war memorial orders decreased, social customs changed and gravestones became less detailed, concrete became more prevalent in construction, and competition increased from other granite quarries such as those in Barre, Vermont.

In 1866, George Ledward purchased a quarry in Westerly, operating it for several years before signing an agreement in 1869 to sell the land to his friend James Goodwin Batterson, with a final sale date of 1874. Batterson was a Connecticut businessman who owned quarries in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. His business was headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut and operated under the name New England Granite Works. By 1885 the granite industry had grown so much that the first union was formed, the Granite Cutters' National Union. A second union, the Quarry Workers' International Union, was established in Barre, Vermont in 1903.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Westerly Public Library. Although Westerly Public Library has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Granite Industry collection, Ms. GR01, Westerly Public Library.
Contact information:	Westerly Public Library Local History and Special Collections 44 Broad Street Westerly, RI 02891 Tel: 401-596-2877 E-mail: nwright@westerlylibrary.org

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Westerly Public Library staff.
Encoding:	Finding aid encoded by Daniel Mejia 2009 September 11
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

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