To see the scale of the quarrying in Portland, Connecticut brownstone quarries, look for the human running in the photograph, above.
The bedrock of Portland, Connecticut, furnished the stone to build some of New York City.
Wesleyan University and Russell Library are co-sponsors of “The Brownstone Quarries of Portland,” a special presentation on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Hubbard Room at Russell Library, Middletown, Conn.
In 2000, the quarries were listed as a National Historic Landmark and were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Wesleyan students interviewed area residents about the industry, work, memories about quarries and combined those spoken histories with extensive research.
The quarries remained productive until the 1930s, when flooding from the Connecticut River breached the operations and made quarrying unprofitable. The quarries are operating again, called Portland Brownstone Quarries, offering freshly quarried stone for restoration or new construction. 
Visit the company’s on-site gallery for images of recent projects such as Cooper Union in New York, and Middletown’s police station.
The site also currently features Brownstone Park Exploration & Discovery Park. (Special Scuba instructions and kayak lessons area also offered, along with dive time, in season.)