Full Quincy Quarries (Blue Hills Reservation)

Full Quincy Quarries (Blue Hills Reservation)

Distance: 6.14 miles
Elevation: 525 feet

Time: 2 hours, 21 minutes
Hike Type: Messy Loop
Hiking Challenges: 125-Mile Club (2nd Time); Blue Hills Winter Trace

The Hike

Okay. It was TIME. I was going to conquer the Quincy Quarries! Last time I attempted this area, I got very overwhelmed and was simply not having fun anymore, so I cut my journey short, BUT I did get very close to finally connecting the dots. It was 35 degrees out, misty air, and I was going in determined, but with an open mind. 

PART 1: THE UPPER QUARRIES

I started my adventure hiking the trail to the pinnacle of the Granite Railway, all while admiring how vibrant the graffiti looked on the wet rocks. I also admired how carefully I was walking, while admiring how vibrant the graffiti looked on the wet, slippery rocks. I was going to do everything on this side twice, to make sure I got everything I needed for the 125-Mile Challenge and AMC's Blue Hills Winter Trace. 

Afterwards, I wiggled my way toward the Little Granite Railway Quarry and the ballfields. The trails here were really pretty, but I just wish there were intersection markers or SOMETHING to help navigate. At the terminus of the trail with the ballfield parking, there is a mattress that's been there for at least two years now - at least that's a constant! On the inner trail along the Little Granite Railway Quarry there are some neat overlooks, but the ground was VERY mushy and slippery, so I did not tempt fate. I hiked this section one and a half times, and planned to do a smaller second lap.

Continuing on, I made my way to the west side of the Little Granite Railway Quarry, which had more interesting views, and I very carefully worked my way onto what I hoped was the trail that leads to 4229. It turns out, there are roughly three parallel trails that head in this direction - I was on the uppermost, which skirts the base of the granite wall of the Little Granite Railway Quarry.

Next, I skirted along the landfill of the Granite Railway Quarry, which was partially flooded, but bridged. The water was partially frozen and looked horribly polluted. From here, I completed my faster, second lap.

I then descended to hike the Granite Railway Incline, awkwardly passing the same person numerous times. I was HORRIFIED to then find the 4229 intersection marker not where I thought it was supposed to be. Did I hike the wrong trail?? [EDIT: I mentioned this on the 125-Mile Club Facebook group, and Bob Vogel confirmed that it was misplaced and the first route I took was correct - yay!]. This trail went through old fenceposts and followed a stream, but the trail quickly fizzled out at the site of some old, rusted, abandoned cars. An old road/railbed emerged after that, but also fizzled out. I eventually connected to the middle of the three parallel trails, so if anything, at least I'm hiking everything!

I did this loop again and then headed back toward the parking area - the northern quarries were officially complete! I am still curious if the 4229 sign is misplaced, but I felt very accomplished nonetheless!

PART 2: THE LOWER QUARRIES

Now things were about to get interesting! I crossed Ricciuti Drive, entered the woods just west of the parking area, and stared by hiking the western side of things. I needed all of this area for both maps, so there was A LOT of backtracking. I meandered to the western terminus, hit the trails near 4238 and then... then I decided I was going to go for it. I was so close to connecting the dots last time, I had a weird, feral determination to do it all!

I followed the Quarries Foot Path  and the side trails to the area I call the "parking lot" - three-ish granite rectangular prisms that one would usually find in a parking lot, heading a party area filled with broken glass and crushed cans. From there, I slowly followed what I thought could have been the trail, cross-referencing AllTrails, until I saw it down below - the Quarries Foot Path I had been on before! I connected the dots!!! It was such a thrill, even if I was cranky about it. I sat-and-scootched down a lichen-covered granite slab, and gleefully hiked down to 4223.

From 4223, I went over the Bunker Hill Lane and hiked back in. Thankfully I had already done the silly rock scramble that doesn't even have a trail, so now I only had to connect the dots to what I had already done. I did some back-and-forths around 4236, made my way back to 4238, hiked past Berry's Quarry, which had a strange man doing... something, and then made my way into the meadow west of 4236, which had a collapsed tent and was partially flooded... interesting.

Finally, I hiked the random loop on the east side of this area, passed the man at Berry's Quarry, who was now lighting a campfire? And made my way back to the parking lot! Quincy Quarries have officially been conquered!! I am equally proud, excited, and relieved. Now I don't have to go back for a long time, when I'll get to do it all again.

Step-by-Step

I truly tried to type this out, but with the lack of intersection numbers/trail names, it immediately became too confusing. I did the upper section twice, the section just south of Riccuiti Drive twice, and then the lower section once. It was a journey!

THE GRANITE RAILWAY

The Granite Railway, originally built to carry stone quarried for the Bunker Hill Monument was among America's first railroads. The Granite Railway Inclined Plane was a remarkable feat of engineering.

1830

When the Bunker Hill Monument Association did now renew the contract with the Granite Railway Company to haul stone from their quarry in the West District the Granite Railway Company opened their own quarry here at Pine Hill Ledge. Gridley Bryant designed and built the Inclined Plane to transport granite down from the ledge to the existing railway that ran to it's wharf at the Neponset River.

        Rendering of the Inclined Plane railway by local artist Ruth Haderski shows the Inclined Plane as it may have appeared in 1830 based on Gridley Bryant's memoirs and the remains we see today. The following is a letter from Gridley Bryant's memoirs written to a friend describing the Inclined Plane. 

        "The Inclined Plane was three hundred and fifteen feet long, at an angle of about fifteen degrees. It had an endless chain, to which the cars were attached in ascending or descending. At teh head of this inclined plane I constructed a swing platform to receive the loaded cars as they came from the quarry. This platform was balanced by weights, and had gearing attached to it in such a manner that it would always return (after having dumped to a horizontal position, being firmly supported on the periphery of an eccentric cam. When the cars were out on the platform there was danger of them running over, and I constructed a self-acting guard, that would rise above the surface of the rail upon the platform as it rose from its connection with the inclined plane, or receded out of the way when the loaded car passed on the track; the weight of the car depressing the platform as it was lowered down. I also constructed a turn - table at the foot of the quarry, which is still in use (1859) as originally constructed. The railroad was continued at different grades around the quarry, the highest part of which was ninety-three feet above the general level; on the top of this was erected an obelisk or momument forty-five feet high."

1890

After the Granite Railway Company sold the railway right of way from West Quincy to the Neponset River to the Old Colony Railroad Company, standard gauge rails were laid over the original Inclined Plane. The quarry operation now could use standard gauge rail cars to transport granite from the quarry to its cutting sheds and for shipment by steam locomotive to any destination in the country. The endless chain system was still being used to control the cars in their ascent and descent from the quarry.

1920

In 1919 the Granite Railway Company upgraded the Inclined Plane again so that motor trucks could now be used in transporting granite from their quarry to their stone sheds at the base. Channel iron rails were placed over the original railbed and motor trucks were assisted in descent by a cable winch at the top of the inclined plane.

EXCAVATION

A section of the original 1826 Granite Railway was excavated in 1957 by archeologist Richard Muzzrole during the construction of the Southeast Expressway. Over three miles of the original railway was excavated and used for fill in the construction of the expressway. The expressway now follows the approximate route of the Granite Railway as it ran to the Neponset River. The archeological excavation shows the original stone foundation and the granite sleepers minus the wooden rails and the strap iron that was attached to the top of the rain. In the photo to the left can be seen the protruding wooden sleepers of the Old Colony and New York New Haven and Hartford Railroad tracks that were laid over the original 1826 railway. The 1826 railway originated at the Bunker Hill Quarry located about one mile southwest of here and terminated at the wharf at Gulliver's Creek and Neponset River. The railway was abandoned in 1829 when the Bunker Hill Monument Association did not renew it's contract with the Granite Railway Company to haul stone for the monument. WIth the loss of the contract the Granite Railway purchased the ledge at Pine Hill and started quarrying stone. To move the granite down from the ledge to their railway level, Gridley Bryant designed the Inclined Plane rail system and the railcars to transport the granite to the base of the incline plane. Gridley Bryant also designed a turn table located on the 1826 railway that is buried some where beneath where you are standing. 

THOMAS HANDASYD PERKINS

PRESIDENT GRANITE RAILWAY COMPANY

Colonel Thomas Handasyd Perkins was born December 15, 1764, one of 10 children of James and Elizabeth Perkins. At the age of 15 he began working in the shipping business and in 1785 when he turned 21 he launched his business career as a merchant and financier. In 1785, when China opened the port of Canton to foreign businesses, Perkins was one of the first Boston merchants to engage in the Chila trade. Perkins was the driving force in the building of the Bunker Hill Monument and the building of the Granite Railway. He served as president of the Granite Railway Company from its establishment in 1826 until 1834. In later years, Perkins became a philanthropist to many organizations through out Boston, one of which was the Perkins School for the Blind. Perkins died on January 11, 1854.

GRIDLEY BRYANT

ENGINEER AND BUILDER

Gridley Bryant was born on August 26, 1789 in Scituate, Massachusetts. Bryant's opportunities for schooling were limited, amounting to only a few months in each year in a common country school in Scituate. At the age of 15, Bryant was apprenticed to a prominent builder in Boston. At 21 he commenced business as a builder on his own. Bryant was a self-taught engineer. He always had a great desire for books, especially those of mechanics. His skills, industry and energy secured many important contracts with the United States government. Bryant's early inventions include the portable derrick, four and eight wheel rail cars, railway turntables and many types of railway switches. Bryant never patented any of his inventions, stating "I have abandoned to the public all my inventions for the public good." Gridley Bryant died on June 13, 1867 at the age of 77.

RAILCAR

A cross section drawing by archeologist Richard Mozzrole of the original 1826 railway and railcar positioned on the rails showing details of the construction of the roadbed. Two three feet deep trenches were dug about six feet apart and stones were placed in the trenches to make a dry wall foundation. Granite sleepers were placed across the two walls every eight feet, the entire length of the railway. Pine rails eight inches by six inches by sixteen feet long were fastened to the granite sleepers with iron rods. The rods were used at the joins to keep the rails from twisting out of alignment. A two inch by four inch oak rail was nailed to the pine rail with spikes. An iron strap ran two and one half inches wide by three disteenths of an inch thick was nailed with spikes to the oak rail. The total length of the Granite Railway was about three and one half miles long from the Bunker Hill Quarry to the Granite Railway ____ at Gullivers Creek at the Neponset River. The guage of the railway was five feet and between the rails was loose dirt for the horses to walk on. The wooden rails did not last due to the heavy loads and were replaced with granite rails around 1829. The iron strap rails were salvaged from teh wooden rails and reused on the granite rails.

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