Graniteville Quarry Park facts for kids

Graniteville Quarry Park is a public park in Staten Island, New York. It's managed by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. The park is located in the Graniteville area, on the North Shore of Staten Island. It's surrounded by streets like Forest Avenue and Van Name Avenue.

What is Graniteville Quarry Park Like?

The land where Graniteville Quarry Park sits is higher than the areas around it. This area was once a busy quarry in the 1800s. A quarry is a place where rocks are dug out of the ground. Workers here dug out a type of rock called trap rock. This name comes from a Swedish word meaning "stairway," because the rock formations looked like steps.

Many walls and building foundations all over Staten Island are made from this trap rock. It's even rumored that some of this rock was used near Fort Sumter, a famous historic fort.

Today, the park is mostly flat. This is because in the 1980s and 1990s, during a building boom on Staten Island, a lot of dirt was dumped here. This dirt filled in what used to be a deep hole. Professor Alan Benimoff once described this hole as being "shaped like an amphitheater." Even though much of it is covered, some rock formations still stick out of the ground.

Unique Rocks and Glacial Grooves

In 1977, Professor Alan Benimoff made an exciting discovery at the quarry. He found a rare mineral called Trondhjemite while studying for his doctorate degree. Trondhjemite is named after Trondheim, Norway, where it was first found.

Professor Benimoff was looking for two specific types of rocks, but he found three! A piece of one rock, called xenolith, fell into another rock, called diabase. When they mixed at the edges, they formed the new, unique Trondhjemite.

You can also see glacial grooves in the rocks that stick out. These are marks left behind by huge glaciers that moved across the land long, long ago.

It's important to know that some of the original quarry land was used for building in the 1980s. Now, part of Wilcox Street and some townhouses sit directly on top of the rock.

History of the Quarry

The quarry operated for about 60 years, from around 1840 to the late 1890s. It was run by the Bennett family, and a street in Port Richmond is named after them. The town of Graniteville itself was also once named after this family. After the quarry closed, it sat empty for almost 100 years.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the old quarry became a popular spot for teenagers to hang out.

Saving the Land

In the 1980s, Assemblywoman Elizabeth Connelly worked hard to protect the quarry land. Thanks to her efforts, the remaining exposed quarry was saved from being completely covered by new buildings.

Becoming a Park

The "Friends of the Graniteville Quarry Park" played a big role in making this area a recognized park. Even though the city owned the land, it sat unused for decades. Then, in 2001, Kathy Romanelli and Marco Justine started a nonprofit group called The Friends of the Graniteville Quarry.

They worked hard to clean up the site. Over 40 tons of trash were removed! After all this effort, it officially became a city park. The Friends of Graniteville Quarry still organize cleanups twice a year, helping the Parks Department keep the park tidy. With help from kids in the community, they even planted 1,500 flower bulbs. This was made possible by a grant from Councilwoman Debi Rose.

Professor Benimoff, who teaches at the nearby College of Staten Island, brings his students to the park every year. They learn about the unique rocks and geology found there.

How to Get There

You can reach Graniteville Quarry Park by bus. The S44, S48, S59 buses all have stops within one block of the park.