Portland Brownstone Quarries, Connecticut

The massive quarries at Middletown, located in the middle of the state, were a major source of brownstone for buildings all over the eastern USA, as early as the 18^th century. Quarried stone was transported easily by boat from the riverside quarries. The pits became filled with water in the great Connecticut River flood of 1936, ending most of the quarrying. Now owned by the city, the quarries have been leased to a company that has created a recreational water park at the site. Large fuel tanks line the strip of shore between the quarries and the river.