granite ball

You may have noticed a large granite ball in the background of my last picture. Here is a better picture of it. This ball was presented to the City of Quincy by the Granite Manufacturers Association in 1925 on the 300th anniversary of the first settlement in the area. For years, Quincy was known for its granite.





Thomas Crane Library has this photo in its archives of the monument's evolution. Starting from the bottom, it first shows the granite as a rough block of stone, then as a rough ball, then the shined ball in its first location beside City Hall. This monument was later being moved to the rotary south of the Fore River bridge in Quincy Point. And later still, it was moved back in front of City Hall where it is today.

Granite Railway

The incline section of the Granite Railway. You can't tell from the picture, but it is in the middle of a residential neighborhood.

It is interesting that the site hasn't really changed in years. Here is a picture from the Historic American Buildings Survey, Arthur C. Haskell, Photographer. April, 1934 (public domain picture):

(If you want more information on the history of this site, there is a lot on the wikipedia page -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Railway)