History:

The Sheffield Quarry was originally known as the Briggs Quarry and was reputed to have been owned, in part, by Boss Tweed in the 1920's. This alabaster marble has been used in many historical buildings and bridges and has been in operation since the 1800's.

The Briggs Quarry became very active following the Civil War when a contract was received for 100,000 stones for veterans’ graves. The cost of each stone was $2.65. In order to provide 9,000 stones per month, a steam drill was installed.

Marble from this quarry was also used for the columns at Girard College in Philadelphia, the interior of the Boston Customs House, the Tweed Courthouse in New York City, the Washington Monument, and the Berkshire County Courthouse in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

In 1879 work on the Washington Monument, which had been stopped for several reasons, began again. Four courses or rows of white marble from Sheffield, Mass., were laid above the Texas marble.

The Tweed Courthouse in Manhattan was home to county courts in the 1920’s. Between then and now, it has housed various courts and municipal offices. It is now headquarters for the New York City Department of Education. In 1999, the go ahead was given for its restoration. 125 blocks of the original marble were found in the Sheffield quarry, some weighing 9,600 pounds. The blocks were moved to Georgia for carving and became an important part of the restoration.

Outside Links:

Building Stones of Our Nation's Capitol: Washington Monument
The Grandeur That Graft Built: Boss Tweed's Courthouse...
Howard Hall Farm
New York Court Renovation Draws High Praise
The Newest Oldest Covered Bridge in Massachusetts
Tweed Courthouse, 1881
The Marble in the New Courthouse, New York Times Archive, December 25, 1866
Marble for Girard College