In 1810, after working as a lettering man at a marble factory in VT for a few years, a young marble cutter by the name of Sullivan Dwight arrived in Thomaston. He purchased two lots on Mill River (also called Mill Creek/Crick) north of the bridge and erected a sawmill for sawing and polishing limerock and marble. Dam and mill privileges were included in the deeds,. From early deeds it can be determined that this was located near the Falling Mull Quarry.
He also purchased a lot on the County Road, south of the bridge over the river where he constructed a two-story building for use as a finishing factory and outlet. The marble slabs were converted into tombstones, chimneypiece components, window and door caps and sills, sideboards, tables and sinks. With access to the more navigable section of Mill River, the products were shipped to various ports up and down the eastern seaboard.
In a letter, Dwight reports three mills for sawing and polishing of marble, two owned by the Thomaston Marble Manufacturing Co. with 100 saws and 50 about to be added; and one mill owned by O'Brien & Co. containing 50 saws. He reports 12,000 sq ft manufactured annually in Thomaston (compared to about 10,000 sq ft manufactured by Eben Judd at the same time in VT), average price per foot, $1.00; extra quality per foot $2.00; and the greatest amount manufactured into monuments.
Dwight would have hired several employees in the quarries, mills and factory in addition to a number of apprentices, one being John O'Brien, who soon started his own marble business with brother-in-law John Ruggles.
O'Brien established a second marble factory on the north side of the bridge and operated a marble mill owned in common with Jacob Ulmer and Thomas O'Brien farther north on Meadow Brook. At one time this mill was operated by Eli Merrill, who married Sarah George, a sister of Margaret Ruggles (wife of John Ruggles) and Mary Ann O'Brien (wife of John O'Brien). They kept the business in the family.
An extract from an article in the Salem Gazette claims "The marble which is obtained in Thomaston is of a beautiful species and is a source of revenue to the town of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand dollars annually. It is polished by water power, but in consequence of the drought, the polishing mills are not at present in operation."
Around 1851 Dwight's historic marble mill came to a sad but certain ending. One Sunday two boys from Morse's Corner on Old County Road, who had been swimming at the Green, entered the mill and started the machinery. Not knowing how to turn the water on, which kept the mechanism from overheating, it was ruined. Mr. Dwight was attending a religious service at the Old Church on the Hill. Hearing the roar of the mill, he ran from the church but was too late. The mill was never worked again.
By the last quarter of the 19th century, the local black marble industry was nearing its end. However, in spite of its demise, Thomaston's black marble legacy remains to be seen throughout both Elm Grove Cemetery and the Village Cemetery, where several early tombstones stand as monuments to the industry as well as to those former residents, who lie beneath them.
To this day, beautiful examples of both carving capabilities and patterns are found in several of Thomaston's' mid 19th century homes in the form of highly coveted black marble mantelpieces.
He also purchased a lot on the County Road, south of the bridge over the river where he constructed a two-story building for use as a finishing factory and outlet. The marble slabs were converted into tombstones, chimneypiece components, window and door caps and sills, sideboards, tables and sinks. With access to the more navigable section of Mill River, the products were shipped to various ports up and down the eastern seaboard.
In a letter, Dwight reports three mills for sawing and polishing of marble, two owned by the Thomaston Marble Manufacturing Co. with 100 saws and 50 about to be added; and one mill owned by O'Brien & Co. containing 50 saws. He reports 12,000 sq ft manufactured annually in Thomaston (compared to about 10,000 sq ft manufactured by Eben Judd at the same time in VT), average price per foot, $1.00; extra quality per foot $2.00; and the greatest amount manufactured into monuments.
Dwight would have hired several employees in the quarries, mills and factory in addition to a number of apprentices, one being John O'Brien, who soon started his own marble business with brother-in-law John Ruggles.
O'Brien established a second marble factory on the north side of the bridge and operated a marble mill owned in common with Jacob Ulmer and Thomas O'Brien farther north on Meadow Brook. At one time this mill was operated by Eli Merrill, who married Sarah George, a sister of Margaret Ruggles (wife of John Ruggles) and Mary Ann O'Brien (wife of John O'Brien). They kept the business in the family.
An extract from an article in the Salem Gazette claims "The marble which is obtained in Thomaston is of a beautiful species and is a source of revenue to the town of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand dollars annually. It is polished by water power, but in consequence of the drought, the polishing mills are not at present in operation."
Around 1851 Dwight's historic marble mill came to a sad but certain ending. One Sunday two boys from Morse's Corner on Old County Road, who had been swimming at the Green, entered the mill and started the machinery. Not knowing how to turn the water on, which kept the mechanism from overheating, it was ruined. Mr. Dwight was attending a religious service at the Old Church on the Hill. Hearing the roar of the mill, he ran from the church but was too late. The mill was never worked again.
By the last quarter of the 19th century, the local black marble industry was nearing its end. However, in spite of its demise, Thomaston's black marble legacy remains to be seen throughout both Elm Grove Cemetery and the Village Cemetery, where several early tombstones stand as monuments to the industry as well as to those former residents, who lie beneath them.
To this day, beautiful examples of both carving capabilities and patterns are found in several of Thomaston's' mid 19th century homes in the form of highly coveted black marble mantelpieces.
In 1810, after working as a lettering man at a marble factory in VT for a few years, a young marble cutter by the name of Sullivan Dwight arrived in Thomaston. He purchased two lots on Mill River (also called Mill Creek/Crick) north of the bridge and erected a sawmill for sawing and polishing limerock and marble. Dam and mill privileges were included in the deeds,. From early deeds it can be determined that this was located near the Falling Mull Quarry.
He also purchased a lot on the County Road, south of the bridge over the river where he constructed a two-story building for use as a finishing factory and outlet. The marble slabs were converted into tombstones, chimneypiece components, window and door caps and sills, sideboards, tables and sinks. With access to the more navigable section of Mill River, the products were shipped to various ports up and down the eastern seaboard.
In a letter, Dwight reports three mills for sawing and polishing of marble, two owned by the Thomaston Marble Manufacturing Co. with 100 saws and 50 about to be added; and one mill owned by O'Brien & Co. containing 50 saws. He reports 12,000 sq ft manufactured annually in Thomaston (compared to about 10,000 sq ft manufactured by Eben Judd at the same time in VT), average price per foot, $1.00; extra quality per foot $2.00; and the greatest amount manufactured into monuments.
Dwight would have hired several employees in the quarries, mills and factory in addition to a number of apprentices, one being John O'Brien, who soon started his own marble business with brother-in-law John Ruggles.
O'Brien established a second marble factory on the north side of the bridge and operated a marble mill owned in common with Jacob Ulmer and Thomas O'Brien farther north on Meadow Brook. At one time this mill was operated by Eli Merrill, who married Sarah George, a sister of Margaret Ruggles (wife of John Ruggles) and Mary Ann O'Brien (wife of John O'Brien). They kept the business in the family.
An extract from an article in the Salem Gazette claims "The marble which is obtained in Thomaston is of a beautiful species and is a source of revenue to the town of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand dollars annually. It is polished by water power, but in consequence of the drought, the polishing mills are not at present in operation."
Around 1851 Dwight's historic marble mill came to a sad but certain ending. One Sunday two boys from Morse's Corner on Old County Road, who had been swimming at the Green, entered the mill and started the machinery. Not knowing how to turn the water on, which kept the mechanism from overheating, it was ruined. Mr. Dwight was attending a religious service at the Old Church on the Hill. Hearing the roar of the mill, he ran from the church but was too late. The mill was never worked again.
By the last quarter of the 19th century, the local black marble industry was nearing its end. However, in spite of its demise, Thomaston's black marble legacy remains to be seen throughout both Elm Grove Cemetery and the Village Cemetery, where several early tombstones stand as monuments to the industry as well as to those former residents, who lie beneath them.
To this day, beautiful examples of both carving capabilities and patterns are found in several of Thomaston's' mid 19th century homes in the form of highly coveted black marble mantelpieces.
He also purchased a lot on the County Road, south of the bridge over the river where he constructed a two-story building for use as a finishing factory and outlet. The marble slabs were converted into tombstones, chimneypiece components, window and door caps and sills, sideboards, tables and sinks. With access to the more navigable section of Mill River, the products were shipped to various ports up and down the eastern seaboard.
In a letter, Dwight reports three mills for sawing and polishing of marble, two owned by the Thomaston Marble Manufacturing Co. with 100 saws and 50 about to be added; and one mill owned by O'Brien & Co. containing 50 saws. He reports 12,000 sq ft manufactured annually in Thomaston (compared to about 10,000 sq ft manufactured by Eben Judd at the same time in VT), average price per foot, $1.00; extra quality per foot $2.00; and the greatest amount manufactured into monuments.
Dwight would have hired several employees in the quarries, mills and factory in addition to a number of apprentices, one being John O'Brien, who soon started his own marble business with brother-in-law John Ruggles.
O'Brien established a second marble factory on the north side of the bridge and operated a marble mill owned in common with Jacob Ulmer and Thomas O'Brien farther north on Meadow Brook. At one time this mill was operated by Eli Merrill, who married Sarah George, a sister of Margaret Ruggles (wife of John Ruggles) and Mary Ann O'Brien (wife of John O'Brien). They kept the business in the family.
An extract from an article in the Salem Gazette claims "The marble which is obtained in Thomaston is of a beautiful species and is a source of revenue to the town of perhaps twenty or thirty thousand dollars annually. It is polished by water power, but in consequence of the drought, the polishing mills are not at present in operation."
Around 1851 Dwight's historic marble mill came to a sad but certain ending. One Sunday two boys from Morse's Corner on Old County Road, who had been swimming at the Green, entered the mill and started the machinery. Not knowing how to turn the water on, which kept the mechanism from overheating, it was ruined. Mr. Dwight was attending a religious service at the Old Church on the Hill. Hearing the roar of the mill, he ran from the church but was too late. The mill was never worked again.
By the last quarter of the 19th century, the local black marble industry was nearing its end. However, in spite of its demise, Thomaston's black marble legacy remains to be seen throughout both Elm Grove Cemetery and the Village Cemetery, where several early tombstones stand as monuments to the industry as well as to those former residents, who lie beneath them.
To this day, beautiful examples of both carving capabilities and patterns are found in several of Thomaston's' mid 19th century homes in the form of highly coveted black marble mantelpieces.
