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List of Quarries in Rhode Island
Updated: Oct 19
Do you live in the Rhode Island area and you are looking for the best marble, rock, sand, and any other types of natural stones? You can take a look at this article now for a list of quarries in your area.
Some of these quarries are well-known as the best natural stone producers on the market today. Many people write good testimonials about these quarries that are available in Rhode Island.
If you don’t want to go around calling every quarry in the state to find the exact product you need, contact us here at DeFeo Materials. We make the process simple as we source the best selling stone from around the State of Rhode Island and bring it all to a one stop shop location. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Rhode Island Quarries and What They Produce
What Are Quarries and What Do They Do?
Order Quarry Direct from DeFeo Materials
DeFeo Materials is not associated with any of the following quarries
Our List
1. Sullivan Quarry
A quarry on 900 plus acres and 200 feet deep. Known as the John B. Sullivan quarry when it opened in the early 20th century; the Sullivan Granite Company was organized in 1921. Last operated for dimension stone by the Westerly Granite Company in 1969. Since 2010, the quarry has been leased to and operated by Armetta, LLC (formerly Copar) for crushed stone, though still owned by Westerly Granite Co.
2. Conklin Quarry
A limestone (marble) quarry operated for agricultural lime and decorative aggregate. The marble is of the Precambrian Blackstone series. Located in Lincoln RI, The quarry is owned by the Conklin Lime Co. Quarry allowed to flood in 2004 after 330 years of operation at the site.
3. Iron Mine Hill Quarry
A former Iron mine located Northwest of Cumberland and East of Woonsocket. Ore from this locality was mined as early as 1703, and mixed with hematite from Cranston, RI, probably in a foundry in Cumberland RI.
4. Hopkins Hill Sand & Stone Quarry
This is a crushed stone quarry located North of West Greenwich Center in West Greenwich Township and Northeast of Exeter (Washington County). The quarry, Operated by Cardi Corp, has several types of products that are suitable for many building applications, for example, crushed gray stone, processed aggregate, screened sand, mason sand, concrete sand, clean fill, silt fill, and common fill can all be found here.
5. Snake Den Quarry
Stone from this quarry on the former Waterman Farm was used in the construction of many 19th century buildings in Providence, Rhode Island most notably the First Unitarian Church of Providence (then the First Congregational Church) in 1816.
6. Harris Quarry (Harris Lime Quarries)
A group of quarries operated by the Harris Lime Rock Company that mined a Late Proterozoic marble for lime for agriculture and construction. The main Harris Quarry is across Wilbur Road from the Conklin quarry which itself was once part of the Harris Lime Rock Company. The quarry was originally opened in the 1660s by Thomas Harris.
There you have it, our shortlist of Rhode Island quarries that we will add to for years to come. If you want a one stop shop instead of bouncing from quarry to quarry and dealing with their limited hours and product, contact us here at DeFeo Materials and speak with one of our friendly landscape design experts.
Rhode Island Quarries and What They Produce
What Are Quarries and What Do They Do?
A quarry is essentially a type of mine that is used to extract stones and such that will be repurposed into building materials. Quarries belong to a group of mines called open pit mines. The reasoning for this name resides in the fact that these mines are open to Earth’s surface. Quarries in Rhode Island are no different than your average quarry. They exist to dig up any stone-related material that would commonly be used in construction. Rhode Island, however, does have more of certain types of quarries than other states.
What Are the Most Common Materials Found in Rhode Island Quarries?
The types of materials that Rhode Island quarries specialize in are river rocks, and granite, which isn’t dissimilar to other quarries in other states, but they have a fairly large number of quarries of these two types just generally speaking. While Granite is a specific naturally occurring rock, river rocks is a bit more nebulous of a name. River rocks are round stones that appear to have been rounded and smoothed by erosion and weathering thanks to running water. Many believe that river rock is directly produced from rivers or lakes. However, round stone comes from deposits left behind, beside rivers from glaciers. These glaciers moved the river bottoms and deposited the minerals and stone nearby. DeFeo Materials offers a wide variety of river rock types and colors. Back to the quarries, we can break down the types of quarries in Rhode Island into two categories. Things like sand and gravel would be one category, while things like rocks and stone would be in their own.
What Are Sand and Gravel Quarries?
Sand and gravel quarries are just quarries that are used to extract sand and gravel from the Earth. Instead of pulling full rocks, or other natural building materials, more loose materials are pulled, like sand and gravel. Other things like sand and gravel that are pulled from these quarries in Rhode Island are common fill, crushed stone, topsoil, and washed sand. These all vary in value and aesthetic, but each of them has a place in the Rhode Island construction and landscaping industry as a go-to material. Some of them are quite easy to find and acquire. Things like common fill, sand, and topsoil are fairly common and easy to come by. As far as the application of these loose materials goes, the possibilities are fairly endless. Whether it’s a large-scale project for a company building some large building, or working over a large area of land, or it’s for a suburban house looking for a new driveway, loose materials like these are very helpful in many situations. It’s their versatility that keeps them in demand always.
What Comes from Rhode Island Stone Quarries?
Rhode Island stone quarries, like sand and gravel quarries, exist only as a site for the excavation and processing of stone building materials and resources. Rhode Island stone quarries in particular produce certain kinds of stones over others. Granite is the biggest material to come out of many Rhode Island quarries in particular, but they also excavate plenty of other materials as well.
Rhode Island quarries produce stone materials such as riprap, river rock, utility rock, and basic stones as well. Obviously, these larger stones have a number of applications both similar to, and wildly different from the looser materials that were mentioned above. They can be used to fill in driveways, decorate gardens, or even decorate waterfront pieces of land in a more large-scale sort of way. The stone materials, like the loose materials, also vary in price depending on their rarity and availability in the state. Thankfully, the quarries of Rhode Island contain a large variety of stones and loose materials, but it still has its limits and sometimes a resource you may want for your project may not be available.
The History of Quarries in RI
Quarrying in Rhode Island dates back to pre colonial America. As an example, archaeologists of early New England can study quarries (or mines) of soapstone, which is a type of stone that early Native Americans used to make things like bowls and pipes. Soapstone gets its name for its soapy or greasy feel, and can range in color from white to green to brown. Early Native Americans likely used soapstone because it is easy to carve and can hold heat, which is helpful in cooking. However, beginning about 3000 years ago, early New England Natives stopped using soapstone bowls for cooking and food storage and instead used clay pots, likely because clay pots are easier to make and are lighter to carry. There are two known soapstone quarries in Rhode Island and they are located in Johnston and Oaklawn.
Some slightly more recent quarrying history begins in the 1800s, as One of the oldest quarry districts in New England was in Westerly, RI. The most important local quarry was the former Smith Granite Company started in 1845 by Orlando Smith on a farm owned by Dr. Joshua Babcock. Westerly quarries produced some of the finest granite in the world. Westerly became famous for its blue-white granite after the stone was first extracted from the Crumb Quarry, near the village of Bradford in 1834. The Crumb quarry was later owned and operated by the Sullivan Granite Company which operated until 1969. The quarries and the remains of some structures make it the most important surviving quarry and it was recommended for the National Historical Register.
Order Quarry Direct from DeFeo Materials
DeFeo Materials provides a number of services related to hauling and trucking. We will handle every deal with precision and professionalism. When it comes to quarries, and material delivery, we provide multiple services. We can take resources and building materials and haul them straight to wherever you may need them. Whether that be a plant, directly to a job site that is being worked on by a larger company, or to someone who just ordered a large supply of resources. Is your landscape supply yard located on a railway? DeFeo Materials is now offering direct rail service for your supply yard! We currently serve customers across the north and southeast and are looking to expand even further. If you are interested in expanding your product line contact our experts today. Contact DeFeo Materials, and we’ll get the job done right.