Guilford Granite
Guilford, South Central Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut
Marker Inscription
In recognition of Guilford's contribution of granite to the base of the Statue of Liberty. 1886-1986. Dedicated June 28th, 1986
The Story
In 1886, when the Statue of Liberty rose over New York Harbor, the granite that anchored her pedestal came in part from the storied quarries of the Connecticut shoreline near Guilford. The region's dense, salmon-hued Stony Creek granite was prized in the Gilded Age for grand public works, shipped by rail and barge to build banks, bridges, and monuments up and down the East Coast. A century later, on June 28, 1986, the town set this marker to claim its small but enduring share in the nation's most famous symbol of welcome.
Why it matters
It ties a quiet New England quarry town to Lady Liberty herself, a reminder that America's great national monuments were literally built from the stone and labor of countless local communities.
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Related events
- · Construction of the Statue of Liberty pedestal (1886)
- · Statue of Liberty Centennial (1986)
Themes & tags
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